Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction backs 'One nation, One election'; says 'there was great need'

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said that the faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by him supports 'One nation, One election'. He said that there was a great need in the country to hold simultaneous General and Assembly elections.

"Nationalist Congress Party supports one nation one election. We had a meeting yesterday, presidents of different parties were also there, today we have a meeting. Today you saw that before the 'One Nation One Election', the issue of One Nation One Tax was also raised which was implemented," Ajit Pawar said.

The NCP leader stated that whenever elections come, the elected representatives have to stop in their Assembly or Lok Sabha constituency.

"I remember that elections happen simultaneously earlier....It is good that the committee has been finalized, we welcome it. There was a great need for this in the country," he said.

A committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind has been constituted by the government to explore the possibility of 'One nation, One election', sources said. Meanwhile, the government has called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22.

Ajit Pawar remarked a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting with NDA coalition partners on Thursday night.

Apart from Ajit Pawar, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), cabinet ministers as well as key leaders of the BJP-led NDA attended the gathering.

Representatives of smaller outfits allied with the ruling coalition like the Republican Party of India (Athawale), Prahar Janshakti, Rashtriya Samaj Party, Rayat Kranti Sanghatna, Jansurajya Shakti Party, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and  People's Republican Party, among others, were also present. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due in late 2024.