Why Oppose, Will Save Time, Money”: Union Minister On ‘1 Nation, 1 Poll’

New Delhi: 

The BJP has been demanding for “one nation, one election” for a long time and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also supported this call, Union Minister Anurag Thakur told NDTV today.

Mr Thakur’s comment comes a day after the government released key details of the eight-member committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to see whether elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held simultaneously.

“What is the problem in holding simultaneous elections? If elections are held simultaneously, it will save time, money and the government can use the saved time to work for the poor, for the development of the nation,” Mr Thakur, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, told NDTV.

Mr Thakur dismissed the Opposition’s criticism over the government calling a special session of parliament from September 18 to 22, saying the government has every right to call such a session.

“In fact they should be happy the government has called a parliament session. It is a democratic exercise,” Mr Thakur said. He said the “one nation, one nation” committee has members of the Opposition too so that they can give their views.

“But they have left. They don’t believe in discussions. They only make noise on the streets, just make allegations and run away. Remember how many days of the monsoon session (of parliament) they had wasted?” Mr Thakur said.

He said the Opposition made similar allegations when the government was working to bring the goods and services tax (GST) regime, a kind of “one nation, one tax”.