THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The Kerala Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Central government's approval of the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal recommended by the Ramnath Kovind Committee.
With Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan indisposed, the resolution was introduced on his behalf by the State Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.B. Rajesh under Rule 118 of the Assembly Procedures which said this was "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional".
In the 140-member Assembly, there is not a single BJP legislator nor any party of the BJP-led NDA alliance and therefore it was a foregone conclusion that the resolution will be unanimously passed.
Minister Rajesh while presenting the resolution said if such an attempt becomes a reality it will weaken the federal structure of India and compromise the country's diverse parliamentary democracy.
He also said that the Kovind committee report mentions reducing costs, but later said that there are other ways to do so and this is nothing but an attempt to centralise power, which is the agenda of the RSS and BJP.
The Opposition benches also did not doubt that this is impractical for Indian democracy.
Incidentally, both CM Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan had echoed similar opinions last month and it was very clear the passing of the resolution was a mere formality.
Incidentally, the CPI, the second largest party in the ruling CPI-M government, has taken a strong position and they said this was a ploy by the Sangh Parivar forces to impose homogeneity in all spheres of life.
"After one tax, one language, one culture, one religion, they are trying to move in the direction of one election, one party, and one leader has been their repeated statements," they said.