Kohima, Mar 8 (PTI) The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) on Saturday strongly opposed the proposal of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, asserting that it would undermine India’s federal structure and lead to a “one-party rule”.
Raising the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) during the Zero Hour of the Nagaland assembly, NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon said it is detrimental to India, which is known for its unity in diversity.
He claimed ONOE would undermine India’s federal structure and the autonomy of individual states, especially Nagaland, which was born out of a political agreement, with special privileges inserted under Article 371(A) of the Constitution.
He argued that synchronising elections would diminish the role of regional parties, which play a crucial part in advocating for local issues.
Kikon said ONOE could overshadow regional issues with national political narratives, especially from financially dominant national parties.
This shift, he said, would jeopardise the democratic fabric of India, potentially leading to a “one-party rule” akin to a “Communist-style government”.
The MLA also raised concerns over the logistics of implementing ONOE in geographically challenging states like Nagaland, where the cost of infrastructure, security, and election management would strain already limited resources.
Noting the idea of ONOE was proposed to reduce the expenditure of elections, he said it should not be adopted at the cost of federalism.
“There is always a scope to amend the Representation of Peoples Act by way of incorporating stringent measures in regulating the overall election expenditures,” he added.
Kikon claimed Nagaland’s ongoing peace process and political negotiations could be disrupted by simultaneous elections.
“After winning for the third consecutive term, the BJP is now vigorously advocating for ONOE like never before as their desire to remain in power for many long years is apparent like that of the Congress in the early ’50s and ’60s,” he said.
In response to the concerns, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio ONOE is aimed at reducing the cost and time associated with holding multiple elections, and minimising disruptions caused by the Model Code of Conduct.
He said simultaneous elections were the norm in India from 1951 to 1967, but were disrupted by early dissolutions of state assemblies.
Rio also acknowledged the concerns raised about the impact of ONOE on regional politics.
Maintaining that the bill regarding ONOE is at present being reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), the CM said, “It may be improper to make any further comment on the matter.” PTI NBS NBS SOM
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