Omar Abdullah Calls for Open Dialogue on ‘One Nation, One Election’
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Jammu, Dec 13 (NationPress) J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated on Friday that discussions surrounding ‘one nation, one election’ ought to be conducted in a transparent manner, while the Congress party voiced concerns over the practicality of implementing this idea.
Abdullah emphasized that the matter should be brought to Parliament for a transparent discussion, cautioning against a repeat of the events surrounding Article 370 in 2019.
In response, senior Congress leader and legislative assembly member G.A. Mir remarked that the concept of ‘one nation, one election’ is unrealistic for a large nation like India.
Mir accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from its failures with such proposals.
“The idea of 'One nation, one election' is beyond belief and cannot be executed in a vast country like India. There will be a discussion on it in Parliament, where all parties will share their perspectives. However, this is not a small country; it is a massive democratic nation. It seems implausible that we can hold all elections simultaneously, whether for Parliament, assemblies, panchayats, or municipalities,” Mir told reporters.
He further stated that the government introduces such debates to distract from its core responsibilities, including providing job opportunities for the youth and advancing the nation.
“I do not believe we are advanced enough to conduct all elections at the same time,” Mir concluded.
The Union Cabinet has approved two bills aimed at implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’, with one bill suggesting simultaneous assembly elections alongside the Lok Sabha and other state assemblies in the three Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and Puducherry, which are the only UTs with a Legislature.
One of the bills aims to amend provisions in three laws pertaining to the Union Territories with Legislative Assemblies, including Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and Puducherry.
This bill seeks to synchronize the terms of these legislative bodies with other legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha, as proposed in the Constitution Amendment Bill.
