Vijayapura (Karnataka) [India], December 14 (HBTV): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said that the One Nation One Election (ONOE) is a conspiracy hatched by the BJP to finish off small regional parties which add strength to the India bloc.

'The strength of the India bloc has increased due to many regional parties such as TMC, DMK, SP, Communist parties. Hence, the BJP is trying to finish them off through the One Nation One Election,' he said while speaking to the media.

Shivakumar's remark came after the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation One Election' bill on Thursday, paving the way for its introduction in Parliament.

When asked about the bill, Shivakumar said the NDA lacks the two-thirds majority in Parliament, and Congress has already opposed the bill.

'The Congress party has already expressed its opposition to it. The NDA doesn't have strength to get the bill passed in Parliament as it requires two-thirds majority. I don't know how they are going to do it. There are elections in many states in the next few months, some states are up for election in the next 2-3 years, not sure how they are going to handle it. They are doing it with a clear agenda. Rahul Gandhi has already articulated his stand on this and we stand by that,' Shivakumar said.

Earlier in the day, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini lauded PM Narendra Modi for his vision of 'One Nation, One Election' and said that it would speed up the development of the nation and reduce the expenses incurred in conducting elections.

'I appreciate the mindset of PM Narendra Modi. He has the vision of a developed nation... 'One Nation, One Election' will benefit the nation. It will reduce the expenses and the nation will move towards development... The government used to stay busy in the elections, which restricted the development process. As now all the elections will be conducted at one time, all the remaining time will be used for development...' said Nayab Singh Saini.

However, several parties of the INDIA bloc opposed the bill while the BJP-led NDA alliance parties welcomed it, saying it would save time and lay the groundwork for unified elections across the country.

Notably, in September this year, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, which aims to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, along with urban body and panchayat polls, within a span of 100 days.

The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind.

Following the Cabinet's approval, PM Modi praised the decision, calling it a significant step towards enhancing India's democracy.   

(ANI)