New Delhi, July 7 : Taking the idea of simultaneous elections popularly called ‘One Nation, One Election’ forward, the Law Commission on Saturday started dialogues with the political parties.
According to sources, representatives of parties like All India Trinamool Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Goa Forward Party, Communist Party of India, United Democratic Front, Shiromani Akali Dal, AIADMK and the Indian Union Muslim League will meet the Commission and hold talks on simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies on Saturday here.
The panel headed by Justice BS Chauhan has prepared a draft report on the subject and will seek suggestions and opinions from political parties including the general public, sources said.
The law panel’s draft paper titled “Simultaneous Elections – Constitutional and Legal Perspectives” has recommended amendments to the Constitution and the Representation of People’s Act, 1950 to facilitate and sustain the concept of simultaneous polls.
It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has more than once stressed the need to hold simultaneous polls to help save time and money and allow political parties to pay more attention to developmental issues and other matters of governance without political consequences into consideration.
The commission has already written to the seven recognised national and 59 state parties to participate in the deliberations beginning Saturday.
The proposal for simultaneous polls has the backing of the central government as the matter was referred by the Union Law Ministry to the law panel. BJP too is likely to favour the idea.
The Trinamool Congress and CPI have written to the commission have disapproved with the concept saying such an idea is against federal structure of the Constitution.
However, the Bodoland People’s Front has welcomed the initiative. Biju Janata Dal chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently backed the idea.
UNI
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