Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his long-standing support for the concept of One Nation One Election, expressing concern over the current electoral landscape and emphasising the need for synchronising elections across the nation. Talking exclusively to AajTak, PM Modi said, "My party has always been of the same opinion on One Nation One Election and there is nothing new."
Reflecting on the challenges posed by frequent elections, especially the huge strain on resources and manpower that this poses, Prime Minister Modi underscored that frequent elections actually have a detrimental effect on governance, especially when leaders are engaged in electoral battles.
"It will be good if there are simultaneous elections, then whatever they want to say, will say. Whatever nectar (Amrit) comes out of it, we will come out and move forward. This will save the logistic expenditure," he said.
PM Modi also acknowledged the logistical strain that multiple elections can have. He highlighted the significant deployment of state officers during election seasons, citing his own experience in Gujarat.
"When I was in Gujarat, even during Manmohan Singh ji's government, the Election Commission used to take the maximum number of officers from my place. Seventy-eighty of my officers used to go and were engaged in some election or the other for about a hundred days in a year," he noted. He said that this is a crucial problem that the country is facing. "So many observers go, then the code of conduct is followed, everyone gets a vacation for forty-five days, everyone enjoys themselves, how can such a big country stop. There is a big crisis in such a big country," he added.
Prime Minister Modi reminisced also about the earlier era of One Nation One Election in India, which was discontinued in the late 1960s. He revealed ongoing efforts to revive this system, including the establishment of a commission tasked with studying the feasibility and implications of reintroducing simultaneous elections. "Even earlier, there was One Nation One Election in our country, it has discontinued somehow post 67, so now we have set up a commission," he remarked.
In March, the commission, led by former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, came out with the report on the feasibility of having One Nation One Election. "The committee is of unanimous opinion that simultaneous polls should be held," the report, submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, had said.
"We are studying the report," Prime Minister Modi confirmed, emphasising the government's commitment to carefully evaluating actionable points for implementation. He underscored that this commitment transcends political affiliations, emphasising the significance of One Nation One Election for the nation's governance and stability. "We have a commitment and the commitment is not only a political commitment. This is very important for the country," he affirmed.