‘One Nation One Election’ proposal will destroy parliamentary system: Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: As the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on Wednesday cleared the “One Nation One Election” proposal, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday urged all “democracy-loving people” to come out to oppose this move, which will “destroy the present parliamentary form of governance”.

“This is a game plan of the Sangh Parivar forces to convert the present electoral system into a presidential form of government. This will completely destroy the present parliamentary form of governance which revolves around the principles of democracy. Each state has a different set of cultures and a different political background and in the new proposal, that is not being considered. Instead of that, what will happen is going to be a mechanical process of election and if not, the Central rule will be imposed by dismissing elected governments which will destroy democracy,” said Vijayan in a statement issued here.

The Chief Minister claimed that this was part of a larger hidden agenda by tinkering with the hallowed federal polity to give the Centre absolute powers.

“It appears that the ruling BJP is yet to learn from the Lok Sabha poll reversal it suffered. Incidentally, it was just the other day that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was heard saying that during the term of the present government itself, the ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal will come into place and the very next day, all saw the Union cabinet approving the proposal submitted by the (former President) Ram Nath Kovind committee,” he added.

The state’s opposition Congress came out against the move.

Senior Congress legislator and former state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the proposed change is nothing but just tactics being employed by the Modi government to distract attention from burning issues the country is facing.

“For this to become a reality, this has to be passed with a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Parliament and the fact of the matter is the BJP doesn’t even have the necessary strength to rule on its own… It’s at this time, they are coming out with this,” he said.