Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that when politics takes over priority policies, the nation has to pay.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-launched the idea of ”One Nation, One Choice” today, saying it is not a matter of debate, but what the country needs. He also suggested that the Election Commission prepare a single list of voters for the Lok Sabha, assembly and panchayat polls, saying that separate lists are a “waste of resources.”
“One nation, one election is not just a matter of debate, this is India’s need. Elections are held in different places every few months. The effect it has on development work is known to all. This issue it must be studied and presidents can be the guiding force, “he said in a virtual speech at the 80th All India Conference of Presidents.
“We must remember that when politics gets hold of the people and the politics of the nation first, the nation has to pay adversely in such situations,” he said.
The prime minister’s new speech for the simultaneous elections comes weeks after the assembly elections in Bihar, which was the last this year. The elections in Bengal and Tamil Nadu, crucial for the BJP, are due to take place next year.
Several previous releases of “One Nation, One Choice” have failed after the opposition refused to back the idea, claiming it was undemocratic, contrary to the Constitution and impractical. The CPM has alleged that the government is trying to replace parliamentary democracy by sliding into a presidential form of government “through the back door.”
Building consensus on the issue is important to government, as implementing the “One nation, one choice” idea requires an amendment to the Constitution.
But a constitutional amendment, however, cannot be done without a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, which the government does not have at this time.
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