Congress tells Law Commission it is opposed to simultaneous polls

NEWDELHI: The Congress is vehemently opposed to the idea of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections as it is against the basic structure of Indian federalism, the opposition party told the Law Commission on Friday.

The party maintained that ending or extending terms of assemblies was also against the basic structure of Indian federalism.

Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Anand Sharma and JD Seelam met the commission to articulate their party’s stand on holding simultaneous polls in the country.

On behalf of the Congress, Singhvi made the main presentation.

Political parties are divided on the issue.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samajwadi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi have supported the proposal, the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Telugu Desam Party, the Left parties and the Janata Dal(secular) have opposed it.

The Law commission has been holding consultations on the government’s concept of “one nation and one election”.

Last month, Singhvi told a news conference that the idea of simultaneous elections was a “constitutional perversity and preposterous”.

“The proposal of simultaneous election dressed up with fancy phrases such as ‘one nation, one election’ is antithetical to democracy.

It is nothing but another example of authoritarian and dictatorship” he said then.