Is BJP planning early LS polls?


No sooner the BJP-led government formed a panel under former President Ramnath Govind to assess the possibility of One Nation One Election, speculations are rife that it is planning an early elections to Lok Sabha. The move comes a day after the government called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, the agenda for which is under wraps.

Ramanatha Kovind will explore the feasibility and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967.

Tough polls are due only in May next year, the Modi government is planning to face it early and hence planning to implement One Nation One Election, feel opposition party leaders.

Speaking to News Today, DMK spokesperson Ela Pughazhendhi said, ‘Modi can do anything anytime against democracy. We are prepared to face anything.’

We demand fair election, not ‘one nation one election’. This move of ‘one nation one election’ is being brought to divert the attention from our demand of fair election, he added.

Meanwhile, political critic Kalai, says, ‘ Modi has just mooted an idea. And he is working to give a shape to it. It will not just save money but precious time. But do we have enough logistics to go for it is the question. This is what the panel headed by Ramnath Govind will discuss ‘.

Chandrasekaran from TNCC says, This shows the panic in the ruling party after they saw the unity of opposition parties under INDIA bloc. First they reduced LPG prices by Rs 200 and now the panic is so much that they are thinking of amending the Constitution. They have realised that they are not winning the upcoming elections’.

Assembly polls are due in five states in November-December and they will be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June next year. However, the recent moves by the government have thrown open the possibility of advancing the general elections and some state polls, which are scheduled after and with the Lok Sabha polls, feel SS  Sriram, a right wing speaker.