Ram Nath Kovind Chairs Meeting With NCP And RLD On 'One Nation, One Election' Plan

Ram Nath Kovind, the former President of India and head of the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election,' led a meeting with the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) and the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal on Wednesday to gauge their stance on the central government's proposal for synchronized elections.

During the meeting, Kovind engaged in discussions with Praful Patel and Sunil Dattatray Tatkare of NCP, who shared their considered opinions on the matter. Consultations were also conducted with Shri Upendra Kushwah, the national president of RLJD, along with two other party members, to gather their perspectives and suggestions regarding the concept of simultaneous elections in the country, as reported by a source familiar with the proceedings.

As reported by HT on January 28, the committee intended to consult with political parties, both in favor and against the idea. Presently, 12 political parties have opposed the proposal, while 10 have expressed support. Representatives from these parties submitted their suggestions in writing during the meeting.

HT attempted to reach out to the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) delegation and the RLD, but did not receive a response.

In opposition, parties such as the Congress, Communist Party of India, CPI(M), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Trinamool Congress (TMC), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had communicated their objections to the committee secretary Niten Chandra.

It is noteworthy that in September 2023, Ajit Pawar had initially supported the 'One Nation, One Election' idea, while NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule opposed it, citing a lack of clarity from the government on the proposal's details.