"Congress will oppose this proposal": Karti Chidambaram on 'One Nation One Election'

New Delhi [India], December 14 : Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Saturday attacked the Union government over 'One Nation One Election', saying that the party will oppose this proposal.
"The Congress party will oppose this proposal and many regional parties including the DMK oppose the proposal. It is yet another attempt by the government to take away the federal structure. Having two or three state elections is very good for democracy as it gives the people an opportunity to either endorse or negate the political parties," Karti Chidambaram told ANI.
Hitting out at Centre, TMC MP Kirti Azad said that bringing 'One Nation One Election' bill without talking to the opposition is "dictatorship".
"Till 1966-68, all the elections used to happen together because the government used to run for 5 years. But then the system changed because coalition governments started forming and sometimes the government would fall... Bringing this without talking to the opposition is dictatorship," Azad said while speaking to ANI.
CPI(M) Leader MY Tarigami said that the bill will damage the country's unity and its essence which is diversity.
"It will be damaging to our country's unity... It will damage the country's essence which is our diversity... CPI-M has constantly opposed this in the Parliament... If the parliamentary and panchayati elections happen at the same time, won't that make things difficult for the voter?... We request the government to discuss this further... They have also proposed the concept of One Nation One Language," he said.
Meanwhile, BJD MP Sasmit Patra recommended a joint parliamentary committee into the matter.
"The overall merits of the bill, as per media reports, is that (One Nation One Election) will be implemented only in 2034 because the notification of the same may happen in the first sitting after a general election of the Lok Sabha... Contrary to media reports that it might lead to simultaneous elections with state and local bodies, the bill might only talk about the Lok Sabha and the Vidhansabha elections... In case a Lok Sabha on a 5-year period somehow falls, then there'll be a midterm election for the election of another Lok Sabha which will not be for the next 5 years, but for the remainder of the term... Our stand always has been that it requires wider debate and discussion. My recommendation would be to send it to a joint parliamentary committee," he said.
Notably, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha on December 16.
"The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024: Arjun Ram Meghwal to move for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the Constitution of India. Also to introduce the Bill," the list of business stated.
The first amendment bill to conduct simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and State assemblies and another bill to align elections for assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry.
In September, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days.