New Delhi:

Simultaneous election took place in India till 1967 and there was no problem at the time in terms of federalism or any other factor, Union minister Chirag Paswan said today, questioning the Opposition’s resistance on the issue. Speaking at NDTV’s Yuva Conclave, Mr Paswan, one of the youngest Central ministers, enumerated the reasons why the country needs “One nation one election” now. 

The frequent elections, he said, are not just a financial liability, they also are a drain on manpower needed for the country’s security system, he said. People from the army or paramilitary forces are constantly deployed to states where elections are due, all the year round. 

Citing an example, he said this year, the country has witnessed the Lok Sabha and a string of state elections in May-June. “Now we are having the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana and after that it would be the turn of Maharashtra,’ he said.   

Then there is the question of the Model Code of Conduct, declared before elections, which puts brakes on development work. That is why elections should be held at one go so that “once it is over, governments can focus on development and its other work,” said the minister, who has been present at the cabinet meeting where the Ram Nath Kovind panel’s proposal was adopted.

This multiple election also has its effect while drawing up the budget, “because somewhere at the back of your mind you know these many states will election this year and money has to be allotted to them,” he said. 

But looking at the country’s history makes it clear that all elections were conducted together since the country got Independence in 1947.

“The system continued till 1967. If there was no ill effect on Federalism then, who should it happen now? Nehru-ji (Jawaharlal Nehru) was there then. Their party. On today’s date, the country needs “One nation one election”, he said.  

The Opposition has contended that the “One nation one election” plan is not only anti-democratic and unconstitutional, it is also impractical. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has called it “an attempt to divert the attention of the public”. 

New Delhi:

Congress leader Sachin Pilot has said the decision not to contest the Lok Sabha elections is a calculated one and, using a cricket analogy, claimed few people can score as many runs for his party as him when he enters the electoral playground. 

Answering a question at the NDTV Yuva conclave on Thursday on why he was not stepping into the electoral playground when young leaders like him could effect change, Mr Pilot said the party has taken a call after taking several factors into account and his responsibility, as the Chhattisgarh in-charge, is also an important one.

“When I step into the ground and bat, I don’t think other people can score as many runs as I do for the Congress. But people have to keep in mind what responsibility they are given when they enter the ground. As a Congress general secretary, I have been given charge of Chhattisgarh. Who contests an election, who is involved in strategy, who works for the organisation, all of these are decided differently at different times,” Mr Pilot said in Hindi.

“In 2004, I was an MP. Then I was an MLA. I was also a Union minister and a state Congress chief. So, I am carrying out the responsibilities that have been entrusted to me. The candidates that have been picked for the Lok Sabha election have been decided after a lot of thought and they are people that can win,” he added.

The senior leader said even people who are not fighting the polls have important roles to play and have to deliver, just like he has to in Chhattisgarh. 

Claiming that the Congress will win the elections, Mr Pilot said some parties are talking about things like getting more than 400 seats and that politics today is reeking of arrogance.

“There is a difference between advertisements and what is actually happening on the ground. The gulf between the rich and the poor and between cities and villages is widening. Economic policies are responsible for this,” he said. 

Asked about the suspense over the Congress strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli and whether Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will be contesting from there, the leader did not give a clear answer and said Mr Gandhi has been named as a candidate from the Wayanad seat in Kerala. He said the two Uttar Pradesh seats have been Congress bastions and the party will win there again. 

‘2004 Repeat’

Mr Pilot also claimed that the NDA of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time had been finished and the BJP began reviving it after the Congress and other parties formed the INDIA alliance. 

“In 2019, 65% of the votes went to parties in the INDIA alliance. So, only 35% of people supported the BJP… If the BJP is so confident, why is it inducting people from the opposition? This will be an interesting election and there will be a repeat of the 2004 polls when the opposition won despite people expecting an NDA victory,” he claimed.