Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) on Saturday (February 17) extended its support to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies under One Nation One Election idea of the government, barring the local body polls. The party told the high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind that it supports holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together but not the local body polls, however, it clarified that municipalities and panchayat elections should be held together.
"...JD(U) would like to extend its support of having simultaneous elections in House of People (Lok Sabha), state legislature together and the election for the third tier, that is, Panchayats and Municipalities should be held simultaneously but separately and not with House of People and state legislature," the JD(U) told the panel.
The Kovind panel was set up in September last year, which was mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.
What did the JDU say?
In a memorandum submitted to the panel, JD(U) general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha and parliamentary party leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that the party is of the opinion that holding elections together is important to strengthen the architecture of good governance.
Citing reports of the Law Commission and parliamentary committees on simultaneous polls, the JD(U) said synchronised elections will reduce the financial burden associated with frequent elections, as campaigning, logistics and security measures would be consolidated.
The party also felt that synchronised elections might lead to more stable and continuous policy implementation as elected representatives would have longer terms without interruptions due to staggered elections.
"With reduced time spent on election campaigning, leaders could focus more on governance, policymaking and addressing long-term issues rather than short-term electoral considerations," it told the committee.
Voter turnout to get boost with simultaneous polls: JDU
The JD(U) also felt that holding all elections together might boost voter turnout as people could participate in a single voting event, potentially leading to a more engaged electorate.
A law ministry statement later said that besides meeting the JD(U) leaders, the Kovind panel also met a delegation of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad.
Its representatives also made a presentation before the committee in which they indicated their support for simultaneous elections, the statement said.
(With PTI inputs)
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