The main ruling party at the Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the principal opposition party, the Congress, were conspicuous by their absence at the consultations between political parties and the Law Commission of India that began on Saturday over a proposal to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.
While members from the BJP and the Congress were not present in the meeting, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) were the two recognised national parties to attend the consultation.
The concept of simultaneous polls was opposed by TMC, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) while NDA’s ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) supported the concept.
Kalyan Banerjee, Lok Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress chief whip in the house, said: “You can’t have such simultaneous elections in a federal structure. Let’s say there is simultaneous election in 2019 and then, after a year, the government falls. Does it mean that all states will also go for a fresh poll?”
Goa Forward Party is a BJP ally but told the panel that holding parallel Lok Sabha and state assembly polls will be to the disadvantage of the regional parties.
Samajwadi Party expressed its approval, however, it said that the polls should be conducted in 2019. The AIADMK said holding both the polls together is “desirable”, but certain “practical” and “serious” issues need to be settled first. The AIADMK, which rules Tamil Nadu, was of the view that if necessary, simultaneous elections should be held in 2024, not before that.
While the BJP said it would send its view to the panel at a later date, Law Commission chairman BS Chauhan is said to have asked.the party to make its submissions on the issue by month-end. BJP MP and head of its media department, Anil Baluni, emphasised that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had first proposed holding simultaneous polls and there should be no doubt about the party’s commitment to the idea. “One nation, one poll is our commitment. We will present our ideas with full preparation,” he said. Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said the party would consult all other opposition parties and then write to the panel.
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