Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Saturday strongly opposed the ‘One Nation One Election’ Bill, which was listed by the BJP for introduction in the Lok Sabha next week. The contentious bill has sparked a political slugfest, with JMM leaders labelling it as “undemocratic and detrimental” to the federal structure of India.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Lower House. The proposed constitutional amendment bill would deal with making provisions for holding Lok Sabha and state legislative Assembly elections together.

JMM National General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya, while addressing a press conference, termed the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal as a threat to democracy and an attempt to marginalise regional parties.

“Synchronising elections will cut short the tenures of several state governments by months or even years, forcing unnecessary referendums. This undermines the democratic process,” Bhattacharya said.

The JMM leader also invoked the vision of Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, warning that the move could erode social democracy and pave the way for authoritarianism.

“Ambedkar had expressed fears about losing social democracy. This proposal kills his vision of a democratic republic,” he argued.

Bhattacharya also alleged that the BJP’s broader objective is to weaken and eliminate regional parties, citing recent political developments in Maharashtra and other states as evidence of attempts to destabilise local leadership.

He called for regional parties across India to unite against the ‘One Nation One Election’ initiative, urging them to oppose the bill before it becomes law.

During a special Jharkhand Assembly session last week, even Hemant Soren criticised the BJP-led central government over the contentious bill, describing it as a calculated move to centralise power. “The BJP enjoys a parliamentary majority and can introduce any decision, but such a move will have far-reaching repercussions, which the central government seems to be ignoring,” Soren had said.

BJP DEFENDS SIMULTANEOUS POLLS

Responding to JMM’s objection, Jharkhand BJP president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi dismissed the concerns as unfounded.

“Where is the problem in holding simultaneous elections? Jharkhand lost an entire year in elections, delaying development work. This proposal will prevent such inefficiencies,” Marandi said.

He also rejected claims of threats to the Constitution, pointing out that the Congress itself had amended the Constitution over a hundred times. “The Constitution has faced changes before. How is this different?” Marandi asked.