Opposition criticises One nation, one election move: Not practical, blow to federalism, cheap stunt

Among the Opposition-ruled states, Kerala Chief Minister and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan said there was “a hidden agenda to weaken India’s federal system and grant overwhelming power to the central government”. “The Sangh Parivar is covertly working to transform India’s electoral politics into a presidential-style system. The ‘One Election’ slogan undermines the diversity of Indian parliamentary democracy… pushing for simultaneous elections without regard for state-specific political dynamics, risks imposing the central government’s will and overturning electoral mandates — an attack on democracy itself,” he said in a statement.

Criticising the move, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM chief Hemant Soren said in Jamtara: “They (BJP) want only one party to rule this country and only one government in place… be it the Centre or the states. There will be no other government… These people who disrupt communal harmony always want to rule.”

“The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal… is not only against the federal structure but also practically impossible to implement. The fact that such an important proposal is being rushed through without any consultation with Opposition parties reveals the malicious intent of the Narendra Modi government,” Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien called it “another cheap stunt from the anti-democratic BJP”. “Why were the Maharashtra elections not announced with the elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir? Here’s why. The Maharashtra government announced the Ladki Bahin scheme in its Budget this June. The first tranche reached the bank accounts of women in August, and the second tranche will reach beneficiaries in October. You can’t do three states in one go, and you talk about ‘One Nation, One Election’… Also, tell us how many constitutional amendments, including curtailing or extending terms of State Assemblies, will be done. Classic Modi-Shah jumla,” he said in a statement.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav asked if “any time limit (has) been set for the Constitutional amendments… or is this just a slogan thrown around to be put on hold for the future, like women’s reservation”. “Is this a plan to change the results by privatising the elections,” he said in a post on X. “When the BJP topples the elected government of any state, will the elections of the entire country be held again… If President’s Rule is imposed in a state, will the elected government have to wait till the next general elections to return or will there be fresh elections in the entire country,” he asked.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and MP Arvind Sawant questioned whether ‘One Nation, One Election’ was a priority for the government when there were more pressing issues linked to unemployment, inflation, crimes against women and farmers. “The government should be given an award for being bogus and cunning. You could not schedule the Maharashtra and Haryana polls together. You could not hold Mumbai civic body polls. Can’t people see through this,” he said.

RJD MP Manoj Jha called it a “distraction” and an “attempt to manage headlines”. “Our party had some fundamental questions which remain. Till 1961-62, there was ‘One Nation, One Election’… It stopped because one party had dominance, and the dominance was challenged in some regions. The chain was broken… In some states, multiple elections had to be held within five years as governments collapsed. Now, what will the arrangement be… If governments can’t be formed in states, there may be proxy governments through the Governor or President till the next elections. Or elections may be held again, and if that happens, the chain will be broken,” he said.

“One Nation, One Election is another obsession of this government, which has no roots. The only objective is digression, and to have conversations and manage headlines. Because you don’t have specifics on the issues related to it,” Jha said.

“I have consistently opposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ because it is a solution in search of a problem. It destroys federalism and compromises democracy, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution,” said AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi. “Multiple elections aren’t a problem for anyone except (Narendra) Modi and (Amit) Shah. Just because they have a compulsive need to campaign in even municipal & local body elections does not mean that we need simultaneous polls. Frequent & periodic elections improve democratic accountability,” he said in a post on X.

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak questioned how simultaneous elections would be held when even the Maharashtra Assembly elections could not be held with Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. “When they are unable to hold simultaneous polls in four states, how is ‘One Nation, One Election’ even possible,” he asked.

The CPI said it opposes “any anti-federal move that affects state rights”. “The RSS wants to impose homogeneity in all spheres of life and now their obsession has reached the electoral process… Our current electoral system needs reforms and apprehensions have been raised about the impartiality of the Election Commission… Instead of focusing on those pertinent issues, the BJP wants to homogenise the electoral process and mix public opinion as expressed differently in elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies,” said a statement issued by the CPI’s parliamentary party office.