'One Nation, One Election' not practical; BJP trying to divert attention from real issues: Congress

The opposition Congress on Wednesday slammed the Union cabinet’s decision to approve the proposal for 'one nation, one election', saying such a move is not practical in the country.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the ruling BJP comes up with such things only to divert attention from real issues when elections approach.

"It is not practical. It will not work. When elections come, and they are not getting any issues to raise, then they divert attention from real issues,” Kharge said at a press conference in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, the cabinet approved the proposal for simultaneous polls as recommended by the Ram Nath Kovind committee.

Senior Congress leader T.S. Singhdeo said, "It is only a strategy of political convenience, and what I can see is nothing beyond that. The same party which is governing the country as part of the NDA has been talking about this for the past few years." 

The high-level committee, set up in September 2023, had submitted its report March ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. The panel has recommended simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies as the first step followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

Other recommendations of the panel included preparation of a common electoral roll and voter ID cards by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in consultation with state election authorities.

The panel recommended as many as 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not need ratification by state Assemblies. However, these would require certain Constitution amendment Bills that would need to be passed by Parliament.

The couple were married in 2009 and the woman gave birth to two children in 2010 and 2013. However, they started living separately since 2016 after the woman accused her husband of harassment over dowry. The children, meanwhile, remained with their father.