Amit Shah bats for One Nation One Election, says Congress dissolved seven Assemblies to hold simultaneous polls

Union Home Minister Amit Shah at News18 Rising Bharat Summit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that in the next 2-3 years, the atmosphere in the country will be such that no party will be able to refuse one nation one election, because it is in the interest of nation.

"What do we want to do with by holding elections every now and then? Why should the elections not be held simultaneously? They say it is not constitutional. How is it not constitutional? If it is not, how did you conduct three elections? Congress held simultaneous polls by resolving seven Assemblies, and today they are opposing it..." said Shah while speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit.

"They think public believes them, but it doesn't. When election results are announced, they blame the EVMs, but the truth is that people don't trust what you tell them."

Last week, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed the false propaganda surrounding the 'One Nation, One Election' concept, clarifying that it will not be implemented in the upcoming elections.

She clarified that simultaneous polls are planned to take place only after 2034 and the groundwork is being laid now for the then President to give his assent.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will play a crucial role in implementing this plan. A senior official told The Indian Express that building political consensus and passing the bills is just the beginning; significant logistical preparations will follow.

“The Commission will need to place orders for new Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to facilitate simultaneous voting for assemblies and the Lok Sabha, which requires significant lead time,” he explained.