‘One poll’ will not help, good education will, says Delhi CM Kejriwal

There has been speculation that legislation to align national and state polls could be introduced in the special session of Parliament in less than three weeks

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday questioned the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections across the country, saying there were far more important policies and services the Union government should be focussing on instead.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stressed on ensuring delivery for the common man. (ANI)

Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stressed on ensuring delivery for the common man.

“What is important for the country? One Nation One Election Or One Nation, One Education with equal good education for all rich and poor people. One Nation, One healthcare with equal good treatment for all. What will the common man get from One Nation One Election?,” Kejriwal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Union government on Friday announced a committee to explore the possibility of simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, sparking a debate on a fractious issue with far-reaching impact on Indian politics, the Constitution, and federalism.

The announcement of the committee — headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind — came amid speculation that some legislation to align national and state elections could be introduced in the upcoming special session of Parliament in less than three weeks. There has also been speculation that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls might be brought forward.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has backed the idea of holding state and national elections simultaneously several times in the past, hailing what he calls “One Nation, One Election”. But opposition parties reject the proposal as undemocratic and said the decision was “against the interests” of the country.

The announcement of the panel comes ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh; the BRS-ruled Telangana; the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and in Mizoram where BJP’s ally the Mizo National Front is in power.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday said that the formation of the committee for “one Nation, one Election” shows that the central government is beginning to panic.

“It looks like the central government is afraid. They want to anyhow win the elections. After the INDIA alliance has been formed, they are thinking of new ways to form the government again,” he said in a video posted on X.

Apart from Kovind, the panel includes Union home minister Amit Shah and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is the leader of the single largest party in Opposition in the Lok Sabha, former Congressman Ghulam Nabi Azad; the former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, NK Singh; former secretary-general of Lok Sabha, Subhash C Kashyap; senior advocate Harish Salve; and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari. Chowdhury, however, has opted out.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and state legislatures is not a new idea. “If the AAP and the Congress had any knowledge of Indian politics, they would have known that in 1982, late PM Indira Gandhi too floated the idea of simultaneous elections because they are in the interest of democracy, and remove several hurdles in the path of development.”

Other constituents of the Opposition bloc -- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA -- have also slammed the government’s over setting up the panel .

CPI leader D Raja said that Prime Minister Modi calls India the mother of democracy and takes a unilateral decision without discussing it with other political parties.