Parties divided over one nation-one election

Hyderabad: Political parties seem to be divided on the issue of "One Nation One Election".

Some important leaders from opposition parties like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and TDP national president N Chandrababu will not attend the all-party meet convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would participate in the meeting on Wednesday.

These parties would be deputing other leaders to attend the meeting and put forth the party views. Working president of TRS K T Rama Rao would represent the party. The leaders of parliamentary parties of TDP and Trinamul Congress would be participating on behalf of their respective parties.

There is a general feeling among the parties whose leaders are not attending the meeting is that "One Country, One Election" meeting has been convened at a short notice and the Centre should first circulate a white paper inviting suggestions on the same.

TRS sources said, KCR is busy with preparations for the June 21 inauguration of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project which was being organised on a very largescale.

The party however had already put forth its view on simultaneous elections before the Law Commission in the past supporting the concept of all polls at one go.

TMC president Mamata Banerjee in a letter to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, "A proper response on such a sensitive and serious subject like the 'One Country, One Election' in such a short time would not do justice to the subject it deserves.

The matter requires consultations with constitutional experts, elections experts and above all the party members.

"Instead of doing the matter hurriedly, I would request you to kindly circulate a White Paper on the subject to all political parties inviting their views by providing adequate time.

If you only do so, we will be able to give concrete suggestions on this important subject," she wrote in the letter, reported news agency.