News Brief
Sitaram Yechury Slams 'One Nation, One Election' Proposal As Anti-Democratic, Protests High-Level Committee's Agenda
Nayan Dwivedi
Jan 08, 2024, 03:50 PM | Updated 03:50 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In a letter addressed to the High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election (ONOE), CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has criticised the proposal as "inherently anti-democratic" and contrary to the fundamental principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution.
Yechury expressed his party's strong protest against the committee's constitution, citing predetermined terms of reference.
The letter conveyed the CPI(M)'s longstanding opposition to the concept of simultaneous elections and raised concerns about the committee's predetermined agenda.
As per reports by Deccan Herald, Yechury registered a "strong objection" to the imposition of the 'ONOE' concept, emphasising that the consideration of such a proposal goes against the essence of the constitution, which emphasises the centrality of the people's will.
He stated that any proposal undermining these constitutional principles is unacceptable.
Earlier, the party's note in 2018 had firmly asserted that any attempt to prolong the tenure of the Lok Sabha or state legislatures would be unconstitutional and anti-democratic.
Yechury concluded by highlighting that the terms of reference of the committee indicate that a decision on simultaneous polls has already been taken, raising concerns about the implementation of the proposal.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.