Goa CM calls Centre's approval of One Nation One Election "Historic"

Goa Chief Minister Pramad Sawant

Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant termed the Union Cabinet's approval of the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, as "Historic" and stated that the move will be cost-effective and governance-friendly, reported PTI.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday accepted the report of a high-level committee chaired by former president Ram Nath Kovind for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and local bodies in a phased manner after a nationwide consensus-building exercise.

Talking to PTI on Friday, CM Sawant said, "I welcome 'one nation, one election'. It is a historic decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has taken several historic decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370."

"Frequently-held elections result in the breakdown of governance due to the model code of conduct. But holding elections pan-India at one time for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will save the nation from frequently imposed code of conduct," he said.

"Frequent elections increase expenditure. But a one-time election will reduce it and that will indirectly benefit the government and people," Sawant said.

Frequent elections also cause obstructions in governance and create hurdles in development projects, which will be avoided in the proposed system, he said.

"Conducting elections once in five years will help in smooth administrative decisions," he added.

Sawant said to PTI that the elections when conducted once every five years will lead to an increase in voter turnout and "will contribute towards the country's development,"

While National Democratic Alliance's allies like Janata Dal (United) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party have supported the plan, Opposition parties such as Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT) still stand opposed to the idea of simultaneous polls, claiming that it will favour the ruling party at the Centre.

According to PTI report, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 'One nation, one election' is to be carried out in two phases, emphasising that the proposal was embraced by large number of parties.

"Over 80 percent of the respondents supported simultaneous polls. The opposition parties may face pressure from within to support it," Vaishnaw said