Simultaneous elections and UCC gain prominence in BJP’s to-do list
With the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya all but completed and Article 370 diluted, the third big core issue of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code
(UCC) as a tool for “gender equality” — and the idea of “One Nation, One Election” have gained prominence in the ruling party’s election manifesto.
With its ideological todo list now much lighter, the Uniform Civil Code and the issue of simultaneous elections are likely to be the new tasks around which the BJP will mobilise.
Both the Uniform Civil Code and “One Nation, One Election” find mention in the section on “Modi’s guarantee on good governance” within the manifesto, which points to the two issues being a major part of any government formed by the BJP going ahead.
“Article 44 of the Constitution lists Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. The BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time as Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with modern time,” says the manifesto. The thematic connecting of gender parity and customary laws that came in the way of it was already drawn by the BJP when Parliament passed the law banning Triple Talaq.
‘Not an unproblematic issue’
The UCC has not been an unproblematic issue, with one Law Commission report not recommending it, while another committee is still examining the issue. The BJPruled State governments have, however, taken some steps towards it with Uttarakhand under
Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami having recently passed a law in this regard.
The BJP, while ideologically committed to the UCC, has been careful about customary laws with regard to tribal communities. As recently as last year, a Parliamentary Committee on Law had said that tribal communities should be kept out of the purview of the UCC. The panel was headed by senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
The Prime Minister, at the launch of the BJP’s manifesto on Sunday, reiterated his party’s commitment to implementing the UCC. On the question of “One Nation, One Election”, the BJP’s manifesto said that the Modi government had set up a highlevel panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine the issues related to simultaneous elections and “will work towards the implementation” of the committee’s recommendations.
Interestingly, the manifesto says that the BJP will “make provisions for a common electoral roll for all levels of elections”, a part of its recommendation to the Kovind committee.