‘One nation, one election’ should be held on pilot basis to test EC’s capability: Akhilesh Yadav

“On this basis, we are suggesting that before implementing ‘One Nation-One Election’, the BJP government, should try conducting Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections simultaneously in Uttar Pradesh that has maximum Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha seats,” Yadav said.

“On one hand, this will show the Election Commission’s capability and public opinion, and the BJP will also come to know that how the people are angry and agitated against the BJP and how they eager are to remove it from power,” he added.

Setting the ball rolling on working towards simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the country, the Central government on Friday had announced a committee that would submit its report to Parliament.

BSP chief Mayawati has not reacted to the Centre’s move so far. But in a social media post on X on Saturday, the former UP chief minister saw a possibility of Lok Sabha polls happening early and said that her party has started the preparations accordingly.

In the post in Hindi, she said, “In the light of the possibility of holding the Lok Sabha elections before the time, a meeting of all the office-bearers of Uttarakhand was held after UP regarding the strengthening of the party organisation, the continuous process of increasing the public base in the society as well as the selection of candidates etc. This exercise will continue state-wise.”

Earlier this week, Mayawati had ruled out the possibility of joining either the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and had said her party would go solo in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as upcoming Assembly elections in four states– Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.