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DK Shivakumar strongly opposed the Central government’s proposed simultaneous elections initiative, calling it a politically motivated attempt to centralise power.
DK Shivakumar stated that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing ‘One Nation One Election’. (PTI)
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday participated in a discussion on the ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal as the Parliamentary Joint Committee continued consultations with political parties and stakeholders in Bengaluru to gather opinions on the issue.
During the meeting, Shivakumar strongly opposed the Central government’s proposed simultaneous elections initiative, calling it a politically motivated attempt to centralise power.
He said the proposal would seriously weaken the federal structure by reducing the powers of states and posed a threat to the democratic system. “I categorically reject the proposal, which is being crafted to suit the convenience of those at the helm of power at the Centre,” he said.
Shivakumar stated that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing ‘One Nation One Election’ and said he read out the resolution during the discussions. He maintained that the proposal was neither practical nor workable.
Questioning the feasibility of synchronising elections across the country, the Deputy Chief Minister asked what would happen if a government collapsed midterm because of political instability, a no-confidence motion, or loss of majority.
“Where is the solution for such situations? Elections are held at different times in different states for different terms. Karnataka had its election three years ago, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had theirs recently, while Punjab and Telangana went to polls at different times. How can all these varying election schedules be synchronised,” he asked.
Calling the move a ploy to suppress the voices of regional and Opposition parties, Shivakumar said the Karnataka government remained opposed to the proposal and stood by the position taken by the Congress high command.
Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil and several other leaders and experts also took part in the discussions organised by the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
While the Congress opposed the proposal, the BJP-JD(S) alliance extended support for the implementation of simultaneous elections. The Karnataka BJP submitted a memorandum urging the implementation of ‘One Nation One Election’ across the country.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra, along with senior party leaders, participated in the meeting.
Among those present were MPs PC Mohan, Yaduveer Wadiyar and Dr CN Manjunath, besides MLCs and party spokespersons.
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