Can’t afford to have one-fifth of nation in poll mode every year: BJD MP Pinaki Misra

MP Pinaki Misra- Senior advocate-LS

Pinaki Misra, Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Lok Sabha MP from Odisha, says he is in support of "one nation, one election", as one-fifth of the country cannot be in election mode every year.

“This continuous election mode is something that impels the need to give freebies to the electorate, which, in the long run, is not good for any country,” the senior advocate and four-time MP from Puri told Moneycontrol.

For the better development of the country, a systematic education and health care policy is needed, he said. Such a policy has not come yet as the government and the electorate have become used to the freebie culture, Misra said.

“A one nation one election policy will reduce freebies because whatever is to be given to the electorate can be given once every five years and then the government can get down to work. Come elections, you fight as fiercely as political parties, but once elections are over, governance must be supreme. There can’t be a continuous war between political parties,” he said.

He noted that BJD supremo and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik is aligned with PM Narendra Modi on this.

BJD’s neutral stance

Misra noted that the BJD has always supported policies and laws that are beneficial to the people, irrespective of which party is in power. “Whether it is the UPA earlier or it is the NDA now, we have always played in harmony with the Centre. BJD has always taken a very nuanced view.”

In the monsoon session of Parliament, the BJD supported the ruling NDA in passing the Mediation Bill and National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) law, 2023, among others. However, the party opposed the NDA government’s farm laws in 2020.

Speaking of the upcoming elections in Odisha, Misra noted that he was confident that Naveen Patnaik would be elected the chief minister for the sixth term. He said that the party would aggressively push for increasing its seats both in the legislative assembly and Parliament in 2024.

One nation, one election

In September 2023, the government mooted a "one nation, one election policy" and formed an eight-member panel, headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, to explore its possibility.

The main idea is that polls for Lok Sabha and all state assemblies should be held simultaneously. PM Modi has been a strong proponent of the 'one nation, one election policy’ since coming to power in 2014.

He has been highlighting the financial burden caused by the continuous election cycle and an obstacle to development work during polls. Kovind, too, had expressed his support to the idea after becoming President in 2017.

In late September, the panel met to decide on its action plan and discuss how to go about holding consultations with the stakeholders. Describing the meeting as introductory in nature, people aware of the details said it was called to discuss to prepare a roadmap on how to go about the mandate given to the panel.

The preparation of working papers, how to go about holding consultations with the stakeholders and research on the subject for an in-depth discussion were also on the agenda of the meeting.