BJP vs Congress once again – support and opposition for one nation one election
Key Highlights
During consultations on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, 32 out of 47 political parties expressed their support for the idea, while 15 opposed it.
Former President Ram Nath Kovind, who chaired the high-level committee studying the proposal, noted that some of the opposing parties had supported simultaneous elections in the past.
The Union Cabinet recently approved draft legislation to implement the proposal, with the bills likely to be introduced in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament.
Party Positions
National Parties
Supporters: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National People’s Party (NPP).
Opponents: Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)).
State and Regional Parties
Supporters:
AIADMK, Apna Dal (Soney Lal), Asom Gana Parishad, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Lok Janashakti Party (Ram Vilas), Mizo National Front, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), Janata Dal (United), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Shiromani Akali Dal, United People’s Party Liberal.
Opponents:
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Trinamool Congress (TMC), All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), Communist Party of India (CPI), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Naga People’s Front, Samajwadi Party (SP).
Non-Respondents:
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Janata Dal (Secular), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Kerala Congress (M), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Concerns Raised by Opposing Parties
Anti-Democratic and Anti-Federal: Critics argue that simultaneous elections could undermine India’s federal structure and give dominance to national parties, marginalizing regional voices.
Operational Challenges: Implementing simultaneous elections in a vast and diverse country like India may face logistical hurdles.
State-Level Disadvantages: Regional parties fear being overshadowed by larger national parties in terms of resources and strategies.
Historical Perspective and Key Data
At an all-party meeting in 2019, 19 political parties discussed critical reforms, including simultaneous elections. Of these, 16 supported the idea, while three (CPI(M), AIMIM, and RSP) opposed it.
Supporting parties in 2019 included the BJP, NCP, JD(U), YSRCP, BJD, BRS, LJP, SAD, Apna Dal, AJSU, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, NDPP, NPP, PDP, RLP, and RPI.
Committee Observations
The committee, chaired by Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its report to the President in March.
It highlighted that 32 parties supported simultaneous elections, citing benefits such as reduced costs, improved governance, and better social harmony.
Opposing parties raised concerns about potential constitutional violations and a shift toward a presidential form of government.
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