The Congress party has voiced its opposition to the BJP’s proposal for simultaneous elections, denouncing the idea as “undemocratic” and incompatible with the principles of federalism and the basic structure of the Constitution. Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has called for the dissolution of the committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, tasked with studying the feasibility of the ‘one nation, one election’ system in a country with a population of 140 crores.
In a letter addressed to Niten Chandra, the committee’s secretary, Kharge stated, “The Indian National 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-powered committee dissolved.”
Expressing concerns about potential abuse of the former President’s persona and office, Kharge urged Ram Nath Kovind not to allow the Union government to undermine the Constitution and parliamentary democracy. He alleged that the committee, despite seeking public suggestions on 18 October, 2023, appeared to have already made up its mind, calling the consultation process an “eyewash.”
Kharge emphasized the need for collaboration between the government, parliament, and the Election Commission of India to uphold the people’s mandate rather than diverting attention with undemocratic ideas. He criticized the composition of the committee, claiming bias and a lack of consultation with opposition parties in power in several states that would be affected by the committee’s decisions.
Addressing the argument that simultaneous elections would result in financial savings, Kharge expressed amusement, highlighting that election expenses constitute less than 0.02% of the total Union Budget for the preceding five years. He asserted that citizens would consider this a small cost for preserving free and fair elections and upholding democracy.
The government’s ‘one nation, one election’ website argues that holding national and state elections simultaneously, as was done from 1951-52 to 1967, would reduce massive expenditure, security force diversion, and disruption in developmental work caused by frequent and staggered elections.
The committee, in its terms of reference, is tasked with examining whether constitutional amendments for simultaneous elections would require ratification by the states.