Kerala CM opposes ‘one nation, one election’; says it is agenda to give supremacy to the Centre

Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the BJP-led Union government's "one nation, one election" idea alleging that such a move was meant to give supremacy to the Centre.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday criticised the BJP-led Union government’s “one nation, one election” idea alleging that such a move was meant to give supremacy to the Centre.

He said the concept of India, the parliamentary democratic system and the constitutional values are under “serious threat”. In a hard-hitting statement, the CPI(M) veteran also said the present slogan of “one nation, one election” raised by the Sangh Parivar is making that threat further severe.

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“The slogan of one nation, one election is the agenda to give supremacy to the Centre… The democratic society should come up against it,” Vijayan said.

The Sangh Parivar has an “hidden agenda” of undermining the federal system to give all dominance to the Centre, he further charged.

The Kerala CM’s statement came days after the BJP-led Centre set up a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to make recommendations on the possibility of holding simultaneous elections.

The committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules that would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.

It will also examine and recommend whether the amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by the states.

The committee will also analyse and recommend possible solutions to scenarios such as a hung House, the adoption of a no-confidence motion or defection or any such other event in case of simultaneous polls.