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On simultaneous polls panel, Raghav Chadha taunts BJP with ‘consent’ jibe
The panel has been set up ahead of the five-day special session of Parliament starting September 18.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Raghav Chadha took a swipe at the BJP-led union government for notifying the name of Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to the committee that will study the feasibility of having simultaneous elections across the country.
Chadha, who was suspended from Rajya Sabha last month for not obtaining the consent of five MPs before including their name in a proposed select committee, wondered whether getting an MP's prior consent is now optional.
In an obvious reference to his own suspension, the AAP leader, in a sarcastic post on X, said, “So, apparently, getting an MP's prior consent before APPOINTING them to a high-level committee is now optional? It's not like there's any precedent for suspending MPs for merely SUGGESTING names lawfully, right?”
The Union government on Saturday formally announced the panel headed by former President Ramnath Kovind that will study the feasibility of having simultaneous elections across the country. The government named Union home minister Amit Shah, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of Congress in 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, declined to join the panel saying, “I have no hesitation whatsoever in declining to serve on the committee whose terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions. It is, I am afraid, a total eyewash.”
The Congress party also took strong exception to the Centre's decision to include former MP Ghulam Nabi Azad instead of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in the committee.
BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill hit out at the Congress party over Chowdhury declining to serve on the committee.
Shergill said, “On one hand Congress beats drums of democracy & on the other hand , they run away from discussion, deliberation & debate !”
“Resignation of Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, LOP, Lok Sabha, Congress from “One Nation, One Election” Committee shows for Cong “Democracy is a flexi tool of convenience” !”
