Lucknow, July 15: Small Lal Kharwar, a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has expressed concerns regarding the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal. He responded to statements made by UP Minister O.P. Rajbhar, who has been critical of SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and the party’s prospects.
In a conversation with reporters on Wednesday, Kharwar mentioned that discussions about ‘One Nation, One Election’ are ongoing. The party has visited ten states to gather public opinions. The BJP argues that this initiative will reduce costs. However, Kharwar believes it will not significantly impact expenses. A recent visit by the Election Commission to Uttar Pradesh revealed that the difference in costs for conducting simultaneous elections is only about 2.5 crore. He anticipates that review meetings will continue until 2029. The discussions also included village and municipal elections. Kharwar suggested that elections should be held within six days, followed by Lok Sabha and assembly elections within a hundred days.
The SP MP criticized the claims of conducting nationwide elections simultaneously, pointing out that the government has not managed to hold Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh over the past five years. He noted that similar delays exist in various other states. If this trend continues, elections in other states may also be jeopardized. Kharwar emphasized that elections for district and block heads should occur under party symbols, allowing marginalized communities, including Dalits and tribals, to participate. The party is willing to assist in this process.
He reiterated that if the government wishes to initiate simultaneous elections across the country, it should first demonstrate its capability by holding district, Panchayat, and municipal elections together in large states like Uttar Pradesh. He questioned whether the Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh have been conducted yet and what the reasons are for the delays.
Kharwar raised concerns about the implications if a government were to fall unexpectedly while attempting to hold simultaneous elections. He pointed out that the current bill does not address any measures for such situations. He suggested that elections for district and block heads should be conducted by the public. The government should initiate the process of dissolving municipal bodies and conducting elections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India.
In response to O.P. Rajbhar’s comments, Kharwar remarked that someone whose son lost an election in alliance with the BJP has little credibility. He noted that Rajbhar became an MLA while in the SP and questioned whether he would have succeeded otherwise. Kharwar challenged Rajbhar to prove himself in the upcoming 2027 elections, stating that the people of the state are well aware of his track record.
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