Congress Calling ONOP 'Weapon of Mass Distraction’ Lacks Logic: Harish Salve Tells Arnab

New Delhi: Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and King's Counsel, UK, Harish Salve launched a pincer attack on the Congress after the latter called One Nation One Poll (ONOP) a ‘weapon of mass distraction.’

Salve said, “One of the leaders of one of the parties said ONOP was a weapon of mass distraction. Now, that's a very nice expression but it's a distraction from the fact that you have no logical answer to any of the arguments.”

Salve, the former Solicitor General of India, remarked the same during an exclusive interview with Arnab Goswami, the Editor-in-Chief of Republic Media Network, and Rhythm Anand Bhardwaj, the Executive Editor of Law and Governance at Republic.

Strongly advocating the implementation of ONOP, Salve quipped that the good sense behind the One Nation One Poll proposal was in the number of chapters measuring the economic implications of having frequent elections in one state or the other.

He added, “We've just seen elections in the state of Maharashtra. Not a single member of the cabinet...people who matter, missed being in Maharashtra? How many days of work of ministries...of functions of vital importance was taken away?”

“I don't Understand How It Works…Says Salve” 

Speaking further, Salve stated, “The only argument, that I have heard and I don't understand how it works, is that - if you have separate elections for the state, then the Modi factor goes away or you can focus on the local leaders without getting worried about the bigger picture of the national leader.”

Watch The Full Interview Here:

Cabinet Gives Nod To Bill For 'One Nation One Poll

Earlier in the day, the BJP took a major step in implementing its key plank of ONOP as the Union Cabinet headed by PM Modi approved the constitutional amendment bill to roll out the concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.

Two draft legislations, including one simple bill to amend provisions in laws dealing with three Union territories with legislative assemblies to align them with the Constitution amendment bill, were given the nod by the Cabinet.

What Will The Proposed Bill Deal With?

The proposed constitutional amendment bill would deal with making provisions for holding Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections together.

The proposed bill will require a simple majority for passage in both the Houses. The government is keen on holding wider consultations on the bills and may send them to a parliamentary committee.

What Is the Current Strength of Both Houses?

The NDA's current strength in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members and one vacancy, is around 293 against the two-third mark of 361. The INDIA bloc enjoys the support of nearly 235 MPs.

In Rajya Sabha, the ruling alliance has nearly 122 members, a tally which is set to rise after the ongoing process to fill vacancies is over. The Upper House' sanctioned strength is 243.

When Will The Bill Be Introduced in Lok Sabha?

The government is likely to introduce the bills early next week in Lok Sabha, and the draft legislation for constitution amendment could be named "The Constitution 129 (Amendment) Bill", sources said.

The government is of the view that simultaneous polls will reduce expenditure in the long run and different parts of the country will not be under the Model Code of Conduct throughout the year due to various polls. (with PTI inputs)