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India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
JPC Chairperson on One Nation One Election holds meeting in Chandigarh
Chandigarh [India], June 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP PP Chaudhary, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairperson on One Nation One Election, held a meeting in Chandigarh on Monday. The meeting is currently underway with regional and national political parties of Haryana and Chandigarh, including the BJP, INC, JJP, BSP, INLD, and former Chief Ministers, who are discussing the matter of the One Nation One Election. The 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill for simultaneous national and assembly polls was tabled in the Lok Sabha in December last year. It was later referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Modi government had formed a High-level Committee on simultaneous Elections, under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind, who submitted an over 18,000-page report to President Droupadi Murmu in March last year. Earlier, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema strongly opposed the Centre's One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal, terming it a direct assault on the federal structure of the country and against the spirit of the Constitution framed by Dr BR Ambedkar. Speaking to ANI after a meeting with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in Chandigarh, Cheema reiterated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government's firm stance against the initiative, arguing that it undermines state autonomy. 'The JPC and its Chairman visited Punjab today to seek the views of the state government and political parties on One Nation, One Election. We have clearly presented our viewpoint before the Committee--this agenda is harmful to the country. It aims to dismantle the federal structure of the nation and goes against the principles of our Constitution. This move threatens the autonomy of states, and we strongly oppose it. We will not allow it to be passed,' Cheema said. In contrast, State Convener for ONOE, SS Channy, supported the initiative, claiming that 'people want One Nation, One Election to be implemented.' 'I welcome the JPC for coming to Punjab to listen to the political parties. We went around the state, and people want One Nation, One Election to be implemented. This will save time and money,' Channy said, highlighting the potential benefits of reduced election expenditure and administrative disruptions. (ANI)
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
As Punjab CM stays away from ONOE meet, AAP & Congress on same page: ‘a direct attack on spirit of Constitution'
Leaders of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition Congress on Saturday found themselves on one platform as they opposed the BJP-led central government's 'One Nation, One Election' proposal. As illness kept Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann away from a party meeting convened by the Joint Parliamentary Committee under chairmanship of PP Choudhary in Chandigarh on Saturday, his Cabinet colleague and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and party's state president Aman Arora registered the Punjab government's strong objection to the Centre's proposal, describing it as 'a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India as framed by Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar'. However, Mann, later in the evening, virtually addressed a rally in Ludhiana ahead of the by-election on June 19. A Punjab Congress delegation led by PCC president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and PCC general secretary (organisation) Capt Sandeep Sandhu presented the party's case before the committee. 'We tell the committee that the idea of 'One Nation, One Election' goes against the basic concept of federalism that has been guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Besides, it also goes against the basic structure of the constitution,' Warring told reporters after the meeting. Noting that the parliamentary and Assembly elections are held on entirely different issues, Warring said, 'The idea of imposing simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies will mean imposing dictatorship by default.' Warring said regional and local issues which get prominence during the Assembly elections would be ignored and crushed and that regional and local aspirations would get muzzled down. Cheema told The Indian Express, 'We have told the committee today this proposal is unacceptable. We have lodged a strong protest. This proposal is akin to leaving the state at the mercy of the Centre, led by a certain political party while federal structure allows the state to have its own government and have a control on all its situations.' Reaffirming the 'unwavering commitment' of the Punjab government and the AAP to upholding the Constitution, Cheema said the state government and the AAP would oppose the bill in writing to protect the rights of the states against centralised overreach. Addressing the media, flanked by Arora, Cheema said, 'This proposal is a hidden agenda designed to destroy the federal structure of the nation as enshrined in the Constitution of India, meticulously architected by Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.' Referring to the amendments in the proposed Bill, Cheema said the suggested amendments would effectively render the tenures of state assemblies subject to the discretion of the Union government, an alarming overreach incompatible with the federal framework enshrined in the Constitution. He said this bill would further encourage the misuse of Articles 356 and 360 by the Union government. 'As per section 5 of part 2, If the Election Commission is of the opinion that the elections to any Legislative Assembly cannot be conducted along with the general election to the House of the People, it may make a recommendation to the President, to declare by an order, that the election to that Legislative Assembly may be conducted at a later date. Citing this amendment, Cheema said, 'The BJP's proposal will ultimately backfire, as it enables the Union government to conduct state elections at its convenience a year or two after general elections, rather than fulfilling the purpose of the proposal as being publicised.' The PCC president said, 'Different reasons cited in favour of 'One Nation One Election' are also baseless. The argument that imposition of Model Code of Conduct hurts welfare schemes or development works is also baseless.' He pointed out that the pre-existing schemes and projects continue during elections and in any case the Election Commission can always approve any disbursements of pre-existing schemes. 'One issue about synchronising the various states and the parliamentary election is that it will require either cutting short the terms of various state Assemblies or prolonging some others,' he said. Warring said to meet the objectives of simultaneous elections, tenures of some state assemblies, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, will be curtailed by more than two years, and tenure of state assemblies like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand be extended by more than two years. He said the Constitution nowhere authorises the Union government to dissolve the state Assemblies or to suspend the state governments, except under the emergency clauses.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: AAP, Congress, SAD oppose ‘One Nation One Election' proposal
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Opposition Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal registered strong objection to the 'One India One Election' proposal during a meeting with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), chaired by PP Choudhary, which is in Punjab. Addressing the media after attending the JPC meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and AAP state president Aman Arora termed the proposal a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India, framed by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Stating that the Punjab government and AAP have completely rejected the proposal, and would also give it in writing, Cheema said, 'The One Nation, One Election bill, proposed by the BJP, is a calculated move to eliminate regional parties that represent diverse cultures, languages, and regions, and serve as the backbone of Indian democracy.' He added that the bill, if passed, would render the state assemblies' tenure at the discretion of the Union government. Cheema said the bill will further encourage the misuse of Article 356 (President's Rule) and 360 (financial emergency) by the Union government. The state finance minister said the concept will ultimately backfire as it would enable the Centre to conduct state elections at its convenience a year or two after general elections. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also said the proposal goes against the basic concept of federalism guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Pointing out that Parliamentary and assembly elections are held on entirely different issues, Warring said, 'The idea of imposing simultaneous elections to the Parliament and the state assemblies will mean imposing dictatorship by default.' The regional and local issues, which get prominence during the assembly elections, will be ignored and crushed, the PPCC chief said, adding that regional and local aspirations will get muzzled down. SAD urges JPC to recommend dissolution of Article 356 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), meanwhile, urged the JPC to recommend dissolution of Article 356, which allows for the imposition of President's Rule in the state, saying that it was the root cause for disruption of simultaneous elections in the country. The SAD delegation, led by Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Balwinder Singh Bhundar, briefed the JPC that in case Article 356 was not done away with, the election schedule would be disrupted again. The delegation also opposed the insertion of Article 82 A, Clause 5, which empowers the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer elections of legislative assemblies. 'This can be misused against opposition parties anytime,' they asserted. Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Balwinder Singh Bhundar also demanded a solution to constant byelections. Stating that bypolls were turning out to be the root cause of election malpractices, they proposed that if a legislator expired, the party should be given the right to nominate another leader of the party for the remaining period. The SAD delegation also highlighted the federal concerns of the bill and said it would cause more harm than improvement.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
After meeting with parliamentary panel, Punjab ministers say govt completely rejects ONOE proposal
Chandigarh: Underlining the opposition of the AAP-led Punjab govt to the 'One Nation, One Election'(ONOE) proposal tabled by the BJP-led Centre, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday described it as a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India as framed by BR Ambedkar. Speaking to media persons after attending a meeting convened by the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) led by PP Choudhary, Cheema said that he, along with AAP state president Aman Arora, "completely rejected" the move. He added that it would be closely watched if the Congress would oppose the bill in Parliament or decide to lend its covert support to the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024. Cheema said, "The AAP govt and the party will also oppose this bill in writing to protect the rights of the states against centralised overreach. The bill's clauses indicate the BJP is conspiring to abolish BR Ambedkar's Constitution, its preamble, and its basic structure. The bill clearly states that if an assembly election isn't held as per schedule in any state due to a natural calamity or constitutional machinery breakdown, the state govt's term will be reduced accordingly." He claimed that the proposed amendments would effectively render the tenures of the state assembly subject to the discretion of the Centre, an alarming overreach incompatible with the federal framework enshrined in the Constitution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo He said that this bill will further encourage the misuse of Article 356 and 360 by the Centre. Cheema also alleged that the bill was BJP's "calculated move" to eliminate regional parties that represent diverse cultures, languages, and regions, and serve as the backbone of Indian democracy. Citing section 5 of part 2, the Bill, Cheema said, "It says that, 'If the Election Commission is of the opinion that the election to any legislative assembly cannot be conducted along with the general election to the House of the People, it may make a recommendation to the President to declare by an order that the election to the legislative assembly can be held at a later date.' The following clauses add that the term of the assembly will coincide with that of Parliament. " Cheema said, "But in case there are deflections in the legislative assembly of a state or the state govt falls, there will be a mid-term election. However, the election would only be for the remainder period, and not a full five-year term. This is in sharp contrast to the BJP's initial claims that it wanted to bring down the expenditure on multiple elections and it wanted to ensure that developmental works are not stalled due to frequent imposition of code of conduct. " He added that the BJP's ONOE concept would ultimately backfire, as it would enable the Centre to conduct state elections at its convenience a year or two after general elections, rather than fulfilling the purpose of the proposal as being publicised. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
India Gazette
7 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We strongly oppose it, won't allow it to be passed": Punjab Minister Cheema on One Nation, One Election
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 14 (ANI): Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday strongly opposed the Centre's One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal, terming it a direct assault on the federal structure of the country and against the spirit of the Constitution framed by Dr BR Ambedkar. Speaking to ANI after a meeting with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in Chandigarh, Cheema reiterated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government's firm stance against the initiative, arguing that it undermines state autonomy. 'The JPC and its Chairman visited Punjab today to seek the views of the state government and political parties on One Nation, One Election. We have clearly presented our viewpoint before the Committee--this agenda is harmful to the country. It aims to dismantle the federal structure of the nation and goes against the principles of our Constitution. This move threatens the autonomy of states, and we strongly oppose it. We will not allow it to be passed,' Cheema said. In contrast, State Convener for ONOE, SS Channy, supported the initiative, claiming that 'people want One Nation, One Election to be implemented.' 'I welcome the JPC for coming to Punjab to listen to the political parties. We went around the state, and people want One Nation, One Election to be implemented. This will save time and money,' Channy said, highlighting the potential benefits of reduced election expenditure and administrative disruptions. Meanwhile, endorsing the One Nation One Election (ONOE) initiative, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has said it will not only reduce election-related expenses but also speed up the country's development by opening new avenues. Addressing an event at the Constitution Club in the national capital on Friday evening, Mishra said Lok Sabha and assembly polls were conducted simultaneously without any hiccups until 1967, since the first polls in independent India in 1952, as everyone was in support of simultaneous polls, be it the then ruling Congress or Communist parties. 'Everyone supported it, beyond political affiliations, be it then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru or Communist leaders...,' the former union minister said at the event, organised by Radheshyam Charitable Foundation, to raise awareness about One Nation, One Election. He said the trend was 'broken' due to many reasons. 'It was broken as some new states were formed, and their assembly elections were held... then ruling Congress dismissed the opposition ruled state governments by misusing Article 356; general elections were preponed in 1972... term of Lok Sabha was also increased by an year to 6 years during Emergency...,' said Mishra said, who was the Governor of Rajasthan from 2019 to 2024. Simultaneous polls across the country will significantly reduce poll expenditure and manpower. This is not about any political party, ONOE is 'essential for the country's development,' he stressed. Mishra said it is fully 'according to the Constitution' and said the opposition parties should be asked which schedule of the Constitution forbids the ONOE. The senior leader recalled that even in 1983, the Election Commission felt the need to rethink on the simultaneous polls and said it was essential for the country. He said NITI Aayog in 2016, and other government commissions have also endorsed the ONOE. The 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill for simultaneous national and assembly polls was tabled in the Lok Sabha in December last. It was later referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The Modi government had formed a High-level Committee on simultaneous Elections, under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind, who submitted an over 18,000-page report to President Droupadi Murmu in March last year. (ANI)
