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Akhilesh proposes ‘trial run’ of ‘One Nation, One Election’ with Lok Sabha and U.P. polls together
Akhilesh Yadav went on to assert that the public is dissatisfied with the BJP and would ensure its defeat.
LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, in a backhanded comment on the BJP-led central government’s proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’, suggested that before implementing this model nationwide, the BJP government should conduct a trial by holding the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections concurrently with the Lok Sabha polls.
This statement follows the Centre’s recent formation of a committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to assess the feasibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.
In a Hindi post on ‘X’ on Saturday, Yadav wrote, “Before embarking on any significant endeavour, it is customary to conduct a trial... We propose that, prior to implementing ‘One Nation, One Election,’ the BJP government should arrange simultaneous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which boasts the highest number of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha seats.”
Akhilesh Yadav went on to assert that the public is dissatisfied with the BJP and would ensure its defeat. He added, “This will not only test the Election Commission’s competence and gauge public sentiment but also reveal how eager the people are to remove the BJP from power.”
The last assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh took place in 2022, with the next scheduled for 2027. Notably, on Friday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also voiced support for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ model.
Speaking in Mumbai on Friday, Akhilesh Yadav said, “The proposal for One Nation, One Election was introduced with the deliberate intention of diverting attention from the INDIA alliance meeting. Even during the last INDIA alliance meeting, they held a separate meeting. Who would be happier than us if One Nation, One Election were implemented? Will they implement it in U.P? If they hold U.P. elections along with Lok Sabha elections, what could be better?”
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya criticised the BJP government’s committee formation, calling it unconstitutional and an insidious attempt to undermine democracy and establish a ‘monarchy.’ Maurya made this statement on ‘X.’
Another SP leader, IP Singh, said in Hindi on ‘X,’ “Modi Ji’s philosophy is that elections should not occur repeatedly as long as he is in power.”
Anupam Mishra, the convener of Team RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal), said, “A committee has been established. Let it determine the cost of conducting this exercise and communicate to the nation the procedure to follow in the event of political instability in a state experiencing a midterm change in government or premature elections. This necessitates thorough deliberations.”
Uttar Pradesh boasts 80 Lok Sabha seats and 403 assembly seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 62 seats, while the SP only managed to secure five. In last year’s assembly election, the BJP won 255 seats, while the SP secured 111 seats.
