Mayawati Backs One Nation, One Poll, Says 'Our Party Stands on Approval But...'

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati , on Wednesday, showed solidarity with the Union cabinet over its proposal of 'One Nation, One Poll.' However, the BSP Chief said the objective of the move should serve the ‘national and public interest.’

In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, “Our party's stand on the approval given today by the Union Cabinet to the proposal to hold simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha, Assembly and local bodies in the country under the system of 'One Country, One Election' is positive, but its objective must be in the national and public interest."

'One Nation, One Election' Part Of Sangh Parivar's Hidden Agenda, Alleges Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the union government of having a hidden agenda behind its stand on 'one nation, one election' to weaken its federal system.

He alleged in a statement that the Sangh Parivar is making a clandestine effort to transform India's present electoral politics into presidential mode.

The Left veteran further alleged that the "one election" slogan was designed to sabotage the diverse nature of India's parliamentary democracy.

Vijayan's remarks come in the wake of the Union Cabinet's approval of the proposal for 'one nation, one election' as recommended by the Ramnath Kovind panel.

The high-level committee had recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies as the first step, followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

The panel had also proposed setting up an 'Implementation Group' to look into the execution of the recommendations made by the committee.

Pointing out that each state has a different situation and background, Vijayan said holding elections mechanically without taking into account the political issues being cropping up there or imposing the Central rule sabotaging the people's mandate would destroy democracy.

He further said the union government had approved the Kovind committee report soon after Home Minister Amit Shah recently announced that 'one nation, one election' would be implemented during the tenure of the present government at the Centre.

The BJP -led union government has a hidden agenda behind its stand on 'one nation, one election' to weaken the country's federal system, he charged.

Vijayan also urged the democratic society of the country to come forward against the Sangh Parivar's alleged move to "sabotage" the parliamentary democratic system of the country and even the very concept of India.

(with PTI inputs)