Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], December 12 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday termed the proposed 'One Nation One Election' bill as the "BJP's own agenda" and said that they have the majority and they can take any decision.
"They have the majority; they can take any decision...This is their own agenda. They will work on their agenda, we will work on our agenda," CM Soren said.
JMM MP Mahua Maji called 'One Nation One Election' a "conspiracy" against regional parties. She stated that the party and the INDIA alliance might oppose this bill.
Maji said, "BJP Government at the Centre has always wanted this. This will be a great loss to the regional parties. They want to finish off regional parties and want just 1-2 parties in the country. I would call this a conspiracy against regional parties...We should oppose this. We are with the INDIA Alliance, so I feel we will oppose it."
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also hinted that the party would oppose this bill saying that Mamata Banerjee has already made party's stand clear and One Nation One Election is not possible in our country.
TMC leader said, "... Our leader Mamata Banerjee has already made our party's stand clear on One Nation One Election... It is not possible in our country... Who will give the guarantee that after voting once, a government will last for its full term, i.e. 5 years..."
Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded that the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' bill be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, asserting that the bill undermines democracy.
"The bill will be presented in Parliament, and we want it to be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which will hold discussions on it. The Indian National Congress's position was clarified last year by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, who sent a four-page letter to former President Ram Nath Kovind's committee on One Nation, One Election, stating that we oppose the bill," Ramesh told ANI.
He further remarked, "It is against democracy and the basic structure of the Constitution."
On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, paving the way for its introduction in Parliament.
The approval is seen as a significant step towards implementing simultaneous elections across the country, with a comprehensive bill expected to be tabled soon.
Earlier, on Wednesday, former President of India Ram Nath Kovind stressed the importance of consensus on the initiative, stating that it goes beyond political interests and serves the nation as a whole. Kovind, who chairs the committee examining the issue, highlighted its potential economic advantages.
"The Central government must build consensus. This is not about any party's interests but about the nation's welfare. Economists believe that implementing One Nation, One Election could boost the country's GDP by 1-1.5 per cent," Kovind told the media.
In September, the Union Cabinet had approved the proposal, aiming to conduct simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly, urban body, and panchayat elections within a span of 100 days. The recommendations were detailed in a report by a high-level panel chaired by Kovind.
Following the Cabinet's approval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the decision as a milestone in strengthening Indian democracy.
"The Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. I commend former President Shri Ram Nath Kovind Ji for leading this effort and consulting a broad spectrum of stakeholders. This is a significant step towards making our democracy more vibrant and participative," PM Modi posted on X.