Shah bats for One Nation One Election, writes to Law Commission

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Monday wrote a letter to Law Commission Chairman B. S. Chauhan batting for One Nation One Election system.

Shah, in his letter, emphasised that with multiple elections happening throughout the year, the Model Code of Conduct impedes the government's developmental work.

In the letter, written in Hindi, the BJP chief cited the examples of Indonesia, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium and Italy where simultaneous elections have proved to be successful. Shah further elucidated how One Nation One Election is not a kin to the Indian electoral system.

Shah said that in India elections keep taking place throughout the year in one state or the other, usually in one five term of Lok Sabha, on an average 5 to 7 states go for assembly elections each year along with polls for local bodies.

"Due to the present process of elections a situation is created where entire country is always in the election mode whether at national, state or local administration level due to which the national treasury has to take huge load for the smooth conduct of these periodic polls. This expenditure can be cut down by holding all such elections simultaneously in five years," Shah said.

BJP President further said that the Model Code of Conduct announced with these polls impact effective governance at two level - the decision making process of the government is effected as the moment election dates are announced political parties take decisions that are short-termed and public appeasing. As a result the decision making process has become more of appeasement instead of being tactical. In this context Shah mentioned Maharashtra where some or the other part of the state remained under Model Code of Conduct for 307 days during 2016-17.