Maharashtra CM Shinde defends `one nation, one election’, says it will save public money

PTI, Sep 1, 2023, 5:10 PM IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday defended the `one nation, one election’ proposal, stating that it would save public money.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of the BJP-led NDA here, he said the Opposition’s INDIA alliance was made up of those who are full of hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and can not decide on a leader. “The Election Commission of India had to spend Rs 10,000 crore on the 2019 general elections. People’s money is spent through government coffers for conducting fair and smooth elections. The entire government machinery, teachers as well as other officials, have to be roped in.

“Such high expenditure can be avoided if all elections are held simultaneously. People will benefit from it, therefore I support the idea,” said Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena.

The Union government has constituted a committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of `one nation, one election’ system, opening the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls. Talking about the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of the Opposition which is meeting in Mumbai, Shinde said, “The leaders of INDIA alliance are full of hatred for Modi. It is their failure that they can not decide on a leader or even a logo to counter the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Prime minister Modi is taking India forward, but the INDIA bloc is creating obstruction in his work.” He also said that all the members of INDIA were only protecting their own interest and ”acting like a gang.” ”Be it Lalu (RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav), Nitish Kumar or (Arvind) Kejriwal, all of them are facing corruption allegations and police complaints,” the Maharashtra chief minister claimed.