New Delhi: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Congress Party in the Lok Sabha has refused to join the Narendra Modi government’s panel to deliberate on “One Nation, One Election” proposal.
The Modi government at the Centre had announced Friday September 01, 2023 the formation of a panel headed by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind to study the proposal of ‘One Nation, One Election’.
A day later, it released the list of the eight members who will be part of the panel. One of them is Congress MP from West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury however refused to join the panel calling it an “eyewash”.
He also said the terms of reference of the 8-member committee have been prepared in such a manner that the conclusion is confirmed.
"I have no hesitation whatsoever in declining to serve on the committee whose terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions. It is, I am afraid, a total eyewash," the Congress Leader in the Lower House of the Parliament wrote in a letter sent to Ministry of Home Affairs. "Moreover, the sudden attempt to thrust a constitutionally suspect, pragmatically non-feasible and logistically unimplementable idea on the nation, months before the general elections, raises serious concerns about ulterior motives of the government," Adhir wrote.
"I have no hesitation whatsoever in declining to serve on the committee whose terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions. It is, I am afraid, a total eyewash," the Congress Leader in the Lower House of the Parliament wrote in a letter sent to Ministry of Home Affairs.
"Moreover, the sudden attempt to thrust a constitutionally suspect, pragmatically non-feasible and logistically unimplementable idea on the nation, months before the general elections, raises serious concerns about ulterior motives of the government," Adhir wrote.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in his letter to the Home Ministry also questioned the exclusion of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
“I find that the current LoP in the Rajya Sabha has been excluded. This is a deliberate insult to the system of Parliamentary democracy. In these circumstances, I have no option but to decline your invitation," the Congress leader wrote.
Besides Ram Nath Kovind who is heading the panel and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, other members of the panel are Home Minister Amit Shah, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission Chairperson N.K. Singh, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C. Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.
The panel to study the feasibility of “One Nation, One Election” – the proposal that means holding General Elections as well as elections of state Assemblies, Municipalities, Panchayats simultaneously, was formed after the Modi government convened 5-day Special Session of the Parliament starting from September 18, 2023.
In the absence of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the government's "One Nation, One Election" panel will not have any member from the opposition parties.
Meanwhile, responding to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's decision to join the panel, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, "One Nation, One election is a powerful idea" and that "its time has come".
"It will save hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees spent on elections. It creates a much more predictable election cycle which allows the government to be better delivered", he said.
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