'Entire Idea Must Be Abandoned': Congress On 'One Nation, One Election'; Seeks Dissolution Of Kovind-Led Panel

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has firmly opposed the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, labeling it as undemocratic and contrary to the Constitution’s “guarantees of federalism”.

In a letter to the 'One Nation, One Election' panel led by former president Ram Nath Kovind, Kharge said that “even common voters” feel that its “consultations” are likely to be a “pretense since minds have already been made up”.

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The former President led panel is currently looking into the proposal to hold simultaneous elections.

In the letter, Kharge criticized the composition of the panel, alleging a bias that excludes substantial representation from opposition parties "that head various state governments that would be affected by the recommendations of this committee".

It should be noted that the Centre had included Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as a member of the panel but he declined to be a part of it, saying that the “terms of reference” of the committee “have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”.

“When the committee is headed by no less than the former President of India, it is distressing when even common voters feel the consultations of the committee are likely to be a pretense since minds have already been made up. Firm views in support of the proposal have already been expressed in public and a dispassionate analysis of pros and cons is not being attempted in a serious and systematic manner,” Kharge said in the letter, Indian Express reported.

The committee had on 18 October last year written to all political parties seeking their views on the proposal of One Nation, One Election.

“There is no place for the concept of simultaneous elections in a country that has adopted a Parliamentary system of government. Such forms of simultaneous elections that are being floated by the government go against the guarantees of federalism contained in the Constitution," Kharge said.

"The government and this committee should have been honest in stating at the outset that what they are attempting goes against the basic structure of the Constitution and will require substantial changes to the basic structure of the Constitution…," he said.

"The Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of one nation, one election. For the sake of maintaining a thriving and a robust democracy, it is imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the High Power Committee dissolved,” Kharge said.

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