Haryana CM, DyCM support ‘one nation, one election’; Akali Dal also favours idea

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday commended the Centre’s decision to form a committee to explore the feasibility of “one nation, one election” while his deputy Dushyant Chautala and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also lauded the idea of holding simultaneous polls.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) said the issue needs a lot of clarity.

Supporting the “one nation-one election” concept, Khattar said it would result in huge savings for the public exchequer and avoid replication of effort on the part of administrative, and other government machinery in holding repeated elections.

“It is a good thing, a beginning has been made. We are in its favour,” Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala told reporters in Gurugram.

The JJP leader, whose party is BJP’s coalition partner in Haryana, said there should be a debate and discussion on this.

The SAD, once a BJP ally, said it favours the concept.

“I and my party are in its favour. Every second day there is one or the other election taking place. Lok Saha and Vidhan Sabha elections should be held simultaneously so that there is no election for five years. Otherwise what happens is election keeps taking place in one state or the other,” Badal said.

Khattar said the committee formed to explore the possibility of ‘one nation, one election’ is definitely a valuable initiative.

“The successful implementation of One Nation-One Election initiative would bring about numerous benefits for India, including substantial financial savings, improved governance, acceleration in development works,” he said, according to an official statement.

This will also further help improve people’s participation in poll process, he said.

Khattar said synchronizing elections at all levels of government would result in substantial savings of taxpayers’ money, which could then be redirected toward public welfare initiatives.

The central government has constituted a committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of “one nation, one election”.

Khattar said frequent elections hampers governance due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, hindering timely policy decisions.

Implementing one nation, one election would alleviate such disruptions, allowing governments to focus on the greater good, the chief minister said.

According to the statement, Khattar further asserted that simultaneous elections would effectively curb corruption and the circulation of illicit funds within the electoral process.

Besides this, holding elections concurrently would increase voter engagement and fortify India’s democratic foundations, he added.

“I hope that constructive discussions on this crucial subject would lead to a broad consensus, propelling the nation forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, Sukhbir Badal said, “Shiromani Akali Dal welcomes and supports the #OneNationOnePoll move”.

There should be nationwide consensus on this issue, he said.

“The idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections will provide much needed stability besides curbing wasteful expenditure. In the present system, the govt machinery remains busy in election mode which affects smooth governance and development,” Badal said.

SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema felt a lot of money can be saved by holding simultaneous elections which can then be used for development works.

The SAD leader said all stakeholders should sit and give their opinion.

Giving an example, he said in case elections have to be conducted again during the five-year term for any reason for Lok Sabha or any state assembly, then it should be for the remainder period of the term.

There are many practical issues which can be discussed when all concerned sit together, Cheema said.

Indian National Lok Dal’s Haryana state president Nafee Singh Rathee said the issue still needs a lot of clarity.

Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary for the idea of simultaneous polls, which include those at local bodies, citing financial burden caused by almost continuous election cycle and jolt to development work during the polling period.