JD(U) submits memorandum to Kovind panel supporting ‘one nation, one election’
The JD(U) is of the view that simultaneous elections are important to strengthen the architecture of good governance and that it will reduce the financial burden associated with the frequent elections, as campaigning, logistics and security measures would be consolidated
New Delhi: The Janata Dal (United) [JD-U], which recently returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, has supported the idea of ‘one-nation-one-election’ but stated that it does not want local body polls to be synchronised together.
A JD(U) delegation comprising former JD(U) national president and parliamentary party leader Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and the party’s national general secretary Sanjay Jha met with former president Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday and submitted a memorandum to the high-level committee in support of holding simultaneous elections.
It, however, underlined that the local body polls – municipalities and panchayats – should not be held alongside elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
“JD(U) would like to extend its support of having simultaneous elections in the House of People (Lok Sabha), state legislature together and the election for the third tier, that is, Panchayats and Municipalities should be held simultaneously but separately and not with the House of people and state legislature,” the memorandum stated.
The Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led party is of the view that simultaneous elections are important to strengthen the architecture of good governance and that it will reduce the financial burden associated with the frequent elections, as campaigning, logistics and security measures would be consolidated.
The party is also of the view that synchronised elections might lead to more stable and continuous policy implementation, as elected representatives would have longer terms without interruptions due to staggered elections.
“With reduced time spent on election campaigning, leaders could focus more on governance, policymaking and addressing long-term issues rather than short-term electoral considerations,” it told the committee.
The eight-member high-level committee which was set up by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in September last year was directed to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.
HT reported earlier this year that the Law Commission too was asked by the government to look into the possibility of synchronising local body elections with assembly and parliamentary polls.
