DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Modi-led NDA government's approval of the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) proposal is yet another desperate attempt to mask its colossal failures. Like the humiliating rollback of the farm laws, ONOE will meet the same fate. The people of India, especially Punjab, who deeply value democracy and regional autonomy, will reject this ill-conceived scheme. This reckless proposal not only dismantles the constitutional pillars of our nation but will also backfire, forcing the BJP into another embarrassing U-turn, said Partap Singh Bajwa, Leader of the Opposition, Punjab.

Instead of addressing the nation's burning issues?soaring unemployment, crushing inflation, and crumbling infrastructure?the Modi government is pushing this absurd plan, which the Election Commission itself struggles to manage on a smaller scale in a few states. The people of India are not blind to this distraction, Bajwa remarked, and the Congress party will ensure this regressive move is defeated.

Bajwa lambasted the ONOE proposal as a direct assault on the very essence of India's parliamentary democracy?accountability. Elections at multiple levels, including the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies, ensure that governments remain accountable to the people at all times. "Frequent elections are essential to keep governments on their toes, compelling them to deliver throughout their term," Bajwa asserted. However, ONOE threatens to erode this system, giving politicians unchecked power for extended periods, free from the regular scrutiny that elections demand. This is nothing short of a dangerous bid by Modi to escape accountability and centralize control. In a vibrant democracy like India, such autocratic aspirations must be thwarted, he warned.

Highlighting the attack on federalism, Bajwa said the ONOE proposal undermines India's very foundation. The country's strength lies in its diversity, and the federal structure ensures that both the central and state governments address the unique concerns of their populations. By synchronizing elections, Modi is trying to turn every election into a national referendum. "In this framework, the voices of the people in states like Punjab, Karnataka, Telengana and many smaller states (North East) will be drowned out by the louder national rhetoric. Local and state-specific issues will be relegated to the background, as voters are swayed by larger national concerns," Bajwa emphasized. This is a blatant power grab by the BJP to consolidate its influence, trampling upon the constitutional rights of states in the process.

Bajwa reminded the people that the framers of the Constitution never intended for India to be shackled by rigid electoral cycles. The natural evolution of electoral cycles after the 1960s, with mid-term elections emerging as a legitimate democratic outcome, reflects the fluid and responsive nature of India's democracy. Modi's ONOE proposal is not a progressive step; it is a betrayal of our

constitutional values.
(editor@dailyworld.in)