One Nation One Election: Siddaramaiah slams Cabinet decision, says Karnataka assembly will adopt resolution
Siddaramaiah on Thursday slammed the Union Cabinet's decision on introducing the One Nation, One Election (ONOE) Bill and described the move as an assault on parliamentary democracy and the federal structure of India.
The decision was a sinister conspiracy to curb the rights of states, he said in a statement. «At a time when the current electoral system is in dire need of reforms, such a bill will only weaken the foundations of democracy further. Before approving such a critical bill, the Modi government should have consulted opposition parties and state governments. However, true to its authoritarian tendencies, the BJP-led central government is trying to impose this undemocratic proposal on the country.»
The Kerala government, Siddaramaiah said, has already passed a resolution opposing the ONOE proposal and has communicated its dissent to the Centre. «If needed, our government will also consult the Congress High Command and adopt a similar resolution to send a strong message against this anti-democratic move.»
This proposal, the Congress CM said, provided no solutions to the crises that arise when the ruling party loses its majority in the Lok Sabha or state assemblies. In such situations, the only democratic remedy was to conduct fresh elections.
Allowing a minority government to continue in power despite losing confidence would be nothing short of treachery against democracy. For the implementation of such a flawed electoral system, amendments to the Representation of the People Act and at least five key
