Lucknow, July 14 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana on Tuesday strongly backed the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ legislation, telling the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies would save time, resources and administrative effort while allowing elected representatives to focus more on development.

The JPC, headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, is on a three-day visit to Lucknow to gather views on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seek to pave the way for simultaneous elections across the country.

As part of its consultations, the committee met government representatives, opposition leaders, constitutional experts and other stakeholders at a hotel in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

Addressing the panel, UP Speaker Mahana said the concept of simultaneous elections has been under discussion for a long time and would benefit not only political parties and elected representatives but also the general public.

He noted that frequent elections place a significant burden on citizens, lawmakers and the administrative machinery. According to him, a substantial amount of time is spent by public representatives in election-related activities due to recurring polls, whereas people expect uninterrupted attention to development works and local issues.

“Simultaneous elections will enable elected representatives to devote more time to governance and public welfare instead of being constantly engaged in election campaigns,” Mahana said.

He further pointed out that repeated elections keep administrative personnel, security forces and government resources tied up in the electoral process. Holding elections together, he argued, would ensure more efficient utilisation of resources and help maintain continuity in developmental programmes.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi welcomed the JPC and described the proposal as an important national issue.

“From 1952 to 1967, elections to the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies were held simultaneously. That system saved time and significantly reduced the financial burden caused by repeated elections,” Shahi said, adding that the committee’s consultations would help shape the proposed legislation.

However, opposition parties reiterated their reservations. Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai told the committee that the Congress remains opposed to the proposal.

“We have presented our views. The Congress party is definitely against ‘One Nation, One Election’ because the government wants to implement the entire process according to its own framework and arrangements. We have clearly registered our objections and stated that we oppose this amendment Bill,” Rai said.

State Cabinet Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma dismissed the opposition’s criticism, saying the proposal was in the national interest.

“The opposition will naturally speak the language of the opposition. There is no substance in its arguments. ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a step in the right direction and is in the interest of the country’s development,” Sharma said.

Calling it a visionary initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added that simultaneous elections would accelerate the country’s progress and should be implemented at the earliest.

Samajwadi Party MLA Lal Bihari Yadav also expressed reservations over the proposal, arguing that the country should first focus on ensuring uniformity in education.

“Before implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’, the country should introduce ‘One Nation, One Education’. Different boards and curricula exist across the country, and the poor and the rich have different education systems,” he said.

Yadav further argued that regional and national parties contest elections on different issues and questioned the practicality of the proposal in situations where a state Assembly is dissolved before completing its term.

Led by P.P. Chaudhary, the 39-member parliamentary panel is examining the constitutional, administrative and logistical implications of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. The committee has already held consultations in several states, including Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Goa.

The recommendations and suggestions gathered during these consultations will form part of the committee’s final report on the proposed electoral reform.

–IANS

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