A seminar on “One Nation, One Election” was held here on Thursday. State BJP president Rajeev Bindal, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that ‘One Nation, One Election’ was needed in the country as elections were held every now and then, including poll to autonomous bodies in various states, which drain the country’s strength, energy, time and money.
Bindal said that when India accepted, adopted and implemented the Constitution framed by Bhimrao Ambedkar, elections were held simultaneously in the country. This trend continued for three elections. Even the elections to panchayati raj institutions and municipal bodies were held simultaneously at that time.
He said that the schedule of elections was then altered and the provisions of the Constitution were misused.
“From time to time, Congress governments at the centre had dismissed state governments before their scheduled tenure and imposed President’s rule for its political interests,” he added.
“Section 356 was the most misused by various Prime Ministers of the Congress. As a result, the electoral structure of the entire country was transformed drastically and now elections are held at different places at different times, which is damaging the country,” he claimed.
The BJP president drew the attention of the audience towards Emergency imposed in the country on June 25, 1975, by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Lok Sabha elections were to be held in five years but this period was extended to six years.
Bindal said, “Dismissing state governments on political grounds and imposing President’s rule harmed the federal structure of the country. The democratically elected governments of the four states, including Himachal Pradesh, were dismissed and President’s rule was imposed.”
He said, “If the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are held simultaneously in the country, undue expenditure and time spent on them can be curtailed. When big nations like America can complete the country’’s elections together with a single vote, why is this not possible in India.”
