TRS in catch-22 situation on 'One Nation, One Election'

Hyderabad: The TRS is in a catch-22 situation on the 'One Nation One Election' proposed by the Centre as it is undecided whether to support the proposal or to go for advance polls either along with Karnataka or Gujarat Assembly elections.

The BJP-led government has been proposing the 'One Nation One Election' in the country in an effort to end the frequent elections in the country. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had disclosed that the proposal was under the study of the Law Commission. He quoted the Parliamentary panel which stated that frequent elections would lead to disruption of normal public life and impact on functioning of the essential services and that the simultaneous polls would reduce the massive expenditure incurred to conduct separate elections every year.

However, the TRS is said to be in a state of confusion thanks to the party's plans of going for an early election. Like the previous occasion (2018), the TRS is planning to go for early elections in the State. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has challenged the BJP leadership to decide a date and dissolve the Lok Sabha to go for elections. The BJP leaders have scoffed at this and said that they had time till 2024.

The ruling party leadership believes that the BJP would push for one nation one election by enacting a law and the process would take at least six to nine months to implement it in the country. The party leaders feel that the State can go for elections along with ujarat where the elections are due in December this year or with Karnataka, which are due in May 2023. This would give the party a chance of going to election early before the one nation one election comes in. However, it would depend on the Government of India and Election Commission of India whether they would take up elections. This is the main concern of the TRS leadership.

It may be mentioned here that the TRS had earlier supported the proposal of one nation one elections. Of late the relations between the BJP and the TRS have become sore and now the party sources said that the TRS may not support the Centre's proposal. The party leadership is not sure what the decision of the government will be with regard to the early election this time. "We are not sure what the Centre is going to do with One Nation One Election because it hardly consults the opposition parties on policy matters. The party will take an appropriate decision when the situation arises," said a senior TRS leader.