The opposition Congress on Wednesday slammed the Union cabinet’s decision to approve the proposal for 'one nation, one election', saying such an excercise is not practical in the country.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the ruling BJP comes up with such things only to divert attention from real issues when elections approach.
"It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues,” Kharge said at a press conference in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, the cabinet approved the proposal for simultaneous polls as recommended by the Ram Nath Kovind committee.
READ - Union Cabinet clears 'One Nation, One Election' proposal
The high-level committee, set up in September 2023, had submitted its report March ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. The panel has recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.
Senior Congress leader T.S. Singhdeo said, "It is only a strategy of political convenience, and what I can see is nothing beyond that. The same party which is governing the country as part of the NDA has been talking about this for the past few years."
READ - How 'One Nation, One Election' can transform political, governance patterns in India
Another party leader Harish Rawat said the BJP has realised that they will lose elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
"After losing one state after another, the BJP was not in a position to sustain that pressure that would've resulted in collapse of their coalition government. That's why the rattled government has opted for 'one nation, one election' formula," he said.
The Kovind panel had recommended preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in consultation with state election authorities.
It proposed as many as 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by state Assemblies. However, these would require certain Constitution amendment Bills that would need to be passed by Parliament.