Neerja Chaudhary, Contributing Editor, The Indian Express, on Friday wondered if the country is ready for the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) policy.
Choudhary, who has covered Indian politics for more than five decades, gave the Tarkunde memorial lecture on ‘Election process and the idea of one nation, one election’.
Known as the ‘Father of Civil Liberties Movement’ in India, Vitthal Mahadev Tarkunde dedicated his life to the defense of democratic ideals and individual freedom. Chaudhary’s association with Tarkunde, founder president of PUCL, dates back to the 70s when she worked with a civil rights organization.
Chaudhary began by reminiscing about the early days of journalism when press freedom was restored after the Emergency and the judiciary regained independence. Drawing parallels with those pivotal years, she said “the current moment, marked by deep divisions in parliament and broad political proposals, calls for equal scrutiny”.
“The Constitution 129th Amendment Bill and the Union Territories Laws Amendment Bill, 2024, if passed, will synchronize Lok Sabha and state assembly elections,” Choudhary said.
“The Election Commission says it is ready … but let us not forget the scale: for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, 28 state assemblies, and 8 Union Territories, multi-phase elections are required in several stages. Are we really ready for this?” she asked.
The policy, Chaudhary noted, risks favoring popular national leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi in state and central elections. Moreover, she said, “If the national government loses its majority, calling for new elections, it could reduce the mandate of all state governments.”
In the program, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran gave brief information about Tarkunde’s biography.
Tarkunde moved to London after completing his BSc in Agriculture. He returned to India in 1933 and started legal practice. He then joined the Congress Samajwadi Party and the Indian National Congress but left both to become a member of the Radical Democratic Party founded by MN Roy. The party disbanded in 1948 and Tarkunde returned to legal practice. In 1957, he was appointed a judge of the Bombay HC.
However, he resigned at the age of 60 and started practicing in the Supreme Court. Tarkunde played a prominent role in investigating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and human rights violations and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1998.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package