Owaisi Expresses Concern Over Simultaneous Polls

HYDERABAD: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said that the notification appointing the committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to look into the one nation, one election (ONOE) proposal was a mere formality as the government had already decided to go ahead with it.

Attaching the notification on the appointment of the committee, to a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Owaisi wrote, “One nation one election will be a disaster for multiparty parliamentary democracy and federalism. Modi had to reduce gas prices because of upcoming state elections. He wants a scenario where, if he wins elections, he spends the next five years carrying out anti-people policies without any accountability (sic).”

Expressing concern at the appointment of former President Kovind as the head of the committee, he said, “the Modi government has downgraded the high office of President of India by appointing a former president to head a government panel. Why has a former Rajya Sabha leader of opposition been included?”

At least five articles of the Constitution and a number of statutory laws will have to be amended before implementing such a proposal, he added.

The proposal in itself is against the very spirit of the constitution and against the basic nature of Federalism. The committee’s scope of work is against the will of voters and will throttle the voice of the people, he said.