Tue Sep 17 12:54:50 UTC 2024: ## Janata Dal (United) Endorses BJP’s “One Nation, One Election” Proposal

**New Delhi, September 16, 2024:** The Janata Dal (United) (JDU), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has voiced its strong support for the BJP’s proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, commonly referred to as “One Nation, One Election.”

JDU National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad highlighted the benefits of this initiative, emphasizing its potential to ensure “continuity of policies.” He stated, “Frequent elections hamper the pace of development plans and cause other problems. We will get relief from these.” Prasad also claimed that simultaneous elections would increase voter turnout and significantly reduce government expenditure, allowing the saved funds to be utilized for development purposes.

The BJP government has been advocating for aligning the schedules for State and general elections since 2014. A committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, established during the previous term of the Narendra Modi government, had recommended holding simultaneous elections followed by local body elections within 100 days. Prime Minister Modi reiterated this commitment in his Independence Day address.

However, the Opposition has expressed strong reservations. Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien criticized the proposal, stating that a government pushing for simultaneous elections is unable to even hold State Assembly elections together. He questioned the absence of Maharashtra elections alongside those in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that the government’s timing is politically motivated. He pointed out that the Maharashtra government announced the “Ladki Bahin” scheme in its budget, with the second tranche of payments scheduled for mid-October, suggesting the government is strategically avoiding simultaneous elections in Maharashtra to leverage the scheme for electoral advantage.

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