New Delhi, Non 26 (Only Kashmir): Addressing the session of 80th All India Presiding Officers Conference at Kevadia Gujarat today, via video conferencing, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Thursday called discussion for one nation one election.
He talked of simultaneous elections at every level- Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabhas or local panchayat level. Common Voter list can be used for this. Digital innovations in the fields of legislatures should be taken up in real earnest for this.
“One Nation, One Election’ isn’t just an issue of deliberation but also a need of the country. Elections are held at different places every few months and it hampers the developmental work and all of you know about it. Therefore, it’s a must to have a deep study and deliberation on ‘One Nation, One Election’,” he said.
He also said that having a single voters list was desirable. “Only one voters list should be used for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and other elections. Why are we wasting time and money on these lists?” he asked.
Pertinently, Modi in past also pushed for simultaneous elections. The proposal had earned widespread opposition from state governments headed by regional parties. Interestingly, top BJP leader and former minister Arun Jaitley too had opposed it and said the idea of simultaneous elections was “fraught with many pitfalls.”
Inputs: PIB
