Sumitra bats for Modi’s 1 nation, 1 election plan
SHIMLA: Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Saturday favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the country, saying time and again the election code of conduct hampers development.
Mahajan was speaking at the conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Region-IV here, attended by Vidhan Sabha speakers, deputy speakers and legislators from Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, and host Himachal Pradesh.
“We are just sharing our views to take our concerns forward. We are not here to take any decision,” she said, adding, “India had earlier followed the system of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas. We need to ponder over the issue. In the midst of elections one after another in the country, the election code of conduct normally hampers the development process and the schemes get stuck, and in the process, and a lot of money is also spent.”
Mahajan said only after proper debate and taking into consideration all issues, including constitutional aspects, the country has to take a decision. “The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ would undoubtedly save money and time, but the constitutional hurdles in its way need to be addressed first,” she said.
J&K speaker Nirmal Singh favoured consensus. Gujarat speaker Rajendra Suryaprasad Trivedi said the simultaneous elections would not only save money, but time also. Haryana speaker Kanwar Pal said the election of different bodies continues for five years, and the public representatives don’t get enough time to perform. While Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur said that ‘one nation, one election’ is the need of the hour. IANS