‘One nation, one election’ a good concept, will reduce expenditure: Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday lauded the idea of ‘one nation, one election’ and said it was in the interest of the country.

He was speaking after the Centre entrusted former president Ram Nath Kovind with the responsibility of heading a committee to explore the feasibility of ‘one nation, one election’.

Speaking to reporters here, Fadnavis said simultaneous polls is a good concept. “It is in the interest of the country,” he said.

“Generally, you will see that elections are taking place in some or other part (of the country) all 365 days. It results in an increase in expenditure,” he said. Simultaneous polls will reduce expenses, he said.

The deputy CM said reforms also get derailed due to multiple elections.

Ex-president Kovind will explore the feasibility and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, as was the case till 1967.

Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong votary of the idea of simultaneous polls, which include those at local bodies, citing the financial burden caused by the almost continuous election cycle and jolt to development work during the polling period.

Kovind too had echoed Modi’s view and expressed his support to the idea after becoming the President in 2017.