Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ (implying simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections), despite the opposition terming the suggestion as ‘impractical’.
PM Modi has also called an all-party meeting on June 19 to discuss ‘one nation, one election’ besides other issues.
BJD leader and Puri MP Pinaki Mishra said his party supports simultaneous polls.
“We are all for simultaneous elections. We have walked the talk on this matter. We have not only preached, but also acted. In 2004, when there was a year to go before the Assembly polls, we held early state elections along with the Lok Sabha polls. The trend has been continued in 2009, 2014 and 2019,” Mishra told IANS.
“Holding elections simultaneously has helped the state enormously because there has been shorter model code of conduct. There has also been massive cost cutting. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is all for simultaneous elections,” he added.
Misra said it was entirely possible to implement simultaneous polls at the national level.
“What is needed is an amendment to the Constitution that there can be no vote of no confidence without a simultaneous vote of confidence. This is there in the German Constitution. It is practically feasible that you can’t bring down a government unless you are able to simultaneously swear in a new one. So whoever brings a no-confidence motion must simultaneously bring vote of confidence. It can be simply done,” he said.
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Ms Kalinga