JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday spoke on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ and said it should not be similar to what happened with Article 370.
Speaking to ANI, Abdullah said “It has not come before the Parliament yet. It will be debated in the House. The debate should be open; it should not be similar to what happened with Article 370 in 2019. it should be discussed openly. As far as the National Conference is concerned, we will sit and form an opinion on it and tell our MPS how to vote.”
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Maji said that the BJP only wanted to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ because their election campaigns had nothing but religion and caste.
“The BJP would like to implement One Nation One Election because their election campaign has nothing but religion and caste. In the Jharkhand assembly elections too, they (BJP) contested on the issue of religion and caste, but faced a humiliating defeat… Through One Nation One Election, they are trying to confuse the public… The central government will never be able to work on local issues… One Nation One Election is part of a conspiracy to harm regional parties…” Maji said speaking to ANI.
Former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung said that the decision was impractical because the terms of the state legislatures could fall prematurely.
Speaking to ANI, Jung said “I don’t think it’s a practical decision because the terms of state legislatures can fall prematurely…There is no constitutional embargo to it. You can try it but it’s absolutely impractical, it will not happen…”
The ‘One Nation One Election’ bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday paving the way for its introduction in Parliament. However, before its introduction in the Parliament, the bill initiated debate between the ruling and opposition parties.
Several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA alliance parties welcomed this bill, saying it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the ‘One Nation, One Election,’ bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process, sources told ANI.
A comprehensive bill is expected to follow this decision, paving the way for unified elections across the nation. — (ANI)