CPI Leader P Sandosh Kumar Opposes ‘One Nation, One Election’ Proposal
New Delhi [India], September 18: Rajya Sabha MP and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader P Sandosh Kumar has opposed the Cabinet’s decision to clear the ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) proposal. Kumar stated that the CPI consistently opposes any anti-federal move that affects state rights.
Kumar said, “CPI had opposed One Nation, One Election on all possible forums and has placed its position against ONOE before the Law Commission of India and the Ramnath Kovind Committee.”
The CPI leader also criticized the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for trying to impose uniformity in the country. “RSS wants to impose homogeneity in all spheres of life and now their obsession has reached the electoral process. After one tax, one language, one culture, one religion, they are trying to move in the direction of one election, one party, and one leader,” he said.
He further mentioned concerns about the impartiality of the Election Commission of India in the recent Lok Sabha elections. “Our current electoral system needs reforms and apprehensions have been raised about the impartiality of the Election Commission in the recent Lok Sabha elections too. Instead of focusing on those pertinent issues, the BJP wants to homogenize the electoral process and mix public opinion as expressed differently in elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies,” he added.
Kumar also demanded comprehensive electoral reforms, including state funding of elections as recommended by the Indrajit Gupta Committee.
Earlier today, the Cabinet approved the government’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, with urban body and panchayat polls to be held within 100 days. The recommendations were made in a report by a high panel committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts, and research work over 191 days since the constitution of the High-Level Committee on September 2, 2023. The proposal will now be tabled in Parliament and must be cleared in both houses—the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha—before it becomes law.
Doubts Revealed
CPI -: CPI stands for Communist Party of India. It is a political party in India that believes in the principles of communism, which means sharing resources and wealth equally among all people.
P Sandosh Kumar -: P Sandosh Kumar is a leader in the Communist Party of India. He is a politician who represents the ideas and interests of his party.
One Nation, One Election -: ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a proposal to hold all elections in India (like for the Parliament and state assemblies) at the same time, instead of having them at different times.
Cabinet -: The Cabinet is a group of top leaders in the government, usually ministers, who make important decisions and policies for the country.
Anti-federal -: Anti-federal means against the federal system. In India, the federal system means that power is shared between the central government and the state governments. Anti-federal actions would reduce the power of the states.
RSS -: RSS stands for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is an Indian organization that promotes Hindu values and culture. Some people believe it has a strong influence on the ruling party, BJP.
Election Commission -: The Election Commission is an independent authority in India that conducts and oversees elections to ensure they are fair and free.
Electoral reforms -: Electoral reforms are changes made to the election process to make it better, fairer, and more transparent.
State funding of elections -: State funding of elections means that the government would provide money for political parties and candidates to run their election campaigns, instead of them raising money from private sources.
Ram Nath Kovind -: Ram Nath Kovind is a former President of India. He led the committee that recommended the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal.
Parliament -: Parliament is the supreme legislative body in India, where laws are made. It consists of two houses: the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).