Frequent Elections Stall Progress: Shivraj Chouhan
For the BJP, the nation came first and therefore it was calling for ‘One Nation-One Election’ (ONOE) as it would help the country focus on development for four and a half years years and think of elections only for six months
HYDERABAD: Union agriculture minister Shivraj Chouhan said that the conduct of frequent elections was fact beneficial for the BJP as it could depute its huge cadre base. But, for the BJP, the nation came first and therefore it was calling for ‘One Nation-One Election’ (ONOE) as it would help the country focus on development for four and a half years years and think of elections only for six months.
Virtually addressing a state-level programme by the BJP on the ONOE proposal, he said the cost of the 2024 election was Rs 1.35 lakh crore. The cost of conducting elections to state Assemblies, the Lok Sabha and others bodies had risen to Rs 7 lakh crore in a five-year period. Besides, there was the expenditure incurred by candidates “who squeeze the industrialists and local traders for money,” Chauhan said. Frequent imposition of the model code of conduct hindered progress, he said.
Telangana BJP president and Union minister G Kishan Reddy called upon the intellectuals and educated members to reach out to masses to build mass opinion for the ONOE plan.
BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal said that there was a need to bring changes with the changing times and introduce ONOE. The nation must move from the election mode to progress mode, he said. BJP ONOE coordinator N. Ramachander Rao, national coordinator Anil K. Antony and others also spoke on the occasion.