39-member JPC on ‘one nation, one election’ bills announced
A 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was constituted on Friday to review two bills related to "one nation, one election".
The Kerala Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposal for ‘One Nation, One Election’ in the country.
Describing the proposal for simultaneous elections for Parliament, state assemblies, and local bodies across India as undemocratic and unconstitutional, the resolution urged the Central government to withdraw its approval of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ plan recommended by the Ram Nath Kovind panel.
The resolution, moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh on behalf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, criticized the proposal submitted by the high-level panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
It was described as reflecting “an anti-democratic mindset” and being in opposition to constitutional values, undermining the parliamentary democratic system.
“The proposal is undemocratic. We see it as a concerted attempt to damage the country’s social, cultural, and political diversities. When there are simpler ways to reduce expenses and ensure smoother governance, the proposal is aimed at destroying the federal structure, which is at the core of the Constitution, challenging the rights of the people, and hampering the rights of state assemblies and local self-governments,” Minister Rajesh said while moving the resolution in the Assembly.
“If implemented, the proposal will dilute the powers of the state legislative assemblies and make the local bodies, that function as local governments, irrelevant. In this way, it will disrupt the decentralization of power and negate the involvement of the public in democratic processes,” the resolution stated.
It also stated that if implemented, the proposal would centralize power and lead to a unitary administration according to the agenda of the RSS and BJP.
“The proposal disrupts federalism, which is a fundamental aspect of the Constitution, and violates the powers enjoyed by the states. It also challenges the sovereignty of the public,” the resolution further stated.
The Ram Nath Kovind panel has proposed holding simultaneous elections for the Parliament and state assemblies, followed by synchronized local body polls within 100 days.
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