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New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Four days after approval by the Union Cabinet, the Bills to enable simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha as well as state and Union Territory assemblies will be introduced in the Lower House on Monday. The Bills will be introduced by Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ reform on Thursday. Meghwal will be presenting two Bills in the Lok Sabha – the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill as well as the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

According to the Centre, this legislation will not only streamline the electoral process, but will also foster greater efficiency, and reduce the financial and administrative burden associated with conducting multiple elections at different times.

The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind had recommended holding concurrent elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

However, critics have argued that implementing synchronised elections could pose logistical and constitutional challenges.

The AAP, the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress among others have raised concerns about the impact of simultaneous polls on regional autonomy and fairness.

“This is a controversial issue. Ours is a federal structure in which it is not possible to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ system. The Opposition has not been taken into confidence on the issue. All stakeholders must be taken into confidence before taking such a big decision,” a Congress leader told IANS.

Opposition leaders highlight potential difficulties in dissolving Assemblies mid-way or addressing situations where a state or the Union government falls before completing its tenure.

Proponents of the Bill on the other hand argue that it will usher in a new era of stability and continuity in policymaking, as governments will no longer have to operate in a perpetual election mode.

NDA partners including JD-U and the LJP have voiced strong support for the Bills highlighting the potential to reduce costs and ensure policy continuity.

The government has clarified that the two proposed legislations provide for “mid-term” polls for Parliament or a state Assembly in case a government falls but it will only be for the “unexpired” portion of the five-year fixed term.

–IANS

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Patna, Dec 20 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday asking him why the per capita income of the state was lowest in the country despite his government in the state for the past 20 years.

In a post on social media platform X, Tejashwi, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, attacked the government, alleging poor infrastructure, corruption, vacant government posts and the need for JD-U’s leader-proposed ‘Pragati Yatra’.

He termed CM Nitish’s proposed Rs 225.78 crore ‘Pragati Yatra’ as a “Farewell Tour”.

“Why does Bihar lag on critical Human Development Index and Sustainable Development Index parameters as per NITI Aayog?” his post read.

He claimed that 90.5 per cent of the government schools in the state lack toilets for girls, and dedicated buildings, and despite available land, schools with buildings often lack boundary walls, which compromises security and infrastructure.

Tejashwi claimed that district hospitals, medical colleges, and sub-divisional hospitals are reportedly in poor condition.

“When we came to power in 2015, we had taken initiatives like Mission-Jammu, Mission Parivartan, and Mission Buniyad, despite that, health services have significantly deteriorated,” the RJD leader said.

He also alleged bribery and bureaucratic inefficiency in police stations and administrative offices.

The leader also pointed out that sugar mills faced closure across the state under CM Nitish’s tenure.

“During the RJD government in 2015, a Cabinet decision was taken to reopen Riga Sugar Mill, yet no progress has been made till now,” he claimed.

Tejashwi asked CM Nitish to apologise to the people for “governance failure”.

“Nitish Kumar should take responsibility for the systemic issues in education, healthcare, law enforcement, and industrial development in Bihar,” Tejashwi said.

“Why are 25 lakh government posts vacant across various departments despite Nitish Kumar’s decades-long tenure and extensive tours? ” he asked.

–IANS

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