Haryana CM Saini extends support to ‘One Nation, One Election' move
The Haryana government on Monday extended in-principle support to 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, saying that its effective implementation will yield multi-dimensional benefits for the country, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said during a meeting with the joint parliamentary committee.
Stating that 'One Nation, One Election' is a vital part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary concept of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', Saini said that this is not just a slogan but a national approach towards a strong and coordinated democracy.
Speaking on the occasion, Saini said that the implementation of 'One Nation, One Election' will bring significant reforms to the democratic system. The joint parliamentary committee is on a study tour regarding the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territory Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The chairman of committee and MP, PP Chaudhary, along with several other members, was present on the occasion.
Saini said that frequent elections hinder development work, as the administrative machinery remains engaged in the election process, directly affecting the general public.
Citing Haryana as an example, he said that the state has undergone three major elections within the past year-- Lok Sabha elections from March to June 2024, the assembly elections from August to October, and the municipal elections from February to March 2025.
He said that due to the imposition of the model code of conduct during these elections, the pace of development was disrupted. The administration was preoccupied with election duties, and the public had to bear the consequences. Moreover, the expenditure incurred on elections is also very high, said Saini.
The chief minister said that 'One Nation, One Election' will not only save resources but will also reflect the people's sentiment that elections should be held simultaneously to avoid wastage of time and money. This would also increase public participation in the democratic process. Therefore, everyone should unanimously support this initiative, he said.
He suggested that while deciding election dates, socio-cultural factors like agricultural seasons, festivals, wedding seasons, holidays, etc., should be considered to ensure maximum voter participation.
Saini said that frequent elections reduce voter enthusiasm, which negatively impacts voter turnout. 'If elections are held once every five years, it will generate renewed enthusiasm among voters, thereby strengthening democracy and enhancing public participation,' he said.
He added that 'One Nation, One Election' would make it possible to hold elections to both the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies simultaneously. This would ensure uniformity in voter awareness campaigns, better coordination in administrative preparations, and optimal use of resources, said the chief minister.
Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli, Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal, and other dignitaries were also present on this occasion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Haryana CM Saini extends support to ‘One Nation, One Election' move
The Haryana government on Monday extended in-principle support to 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, saying that its effective implementation will yield multi-dimensional benefits for the country, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said during a meeting with the joint parliamentary committee. Stating that 'One Nation, One Election' is a vital part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary concept of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', Saini said that this is not just a slogan but a national approach towards a strong and coordinated democracy. Speaking on the occasion, Saini said that the implementation of 'One Nation, One Election' will bring significant reforms to the democratic system. The joint parliamentary committee is on a study tour regarding the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territory Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The chairman of committee and MP, PP Chaudhary, along with several other members, was present on the occasion. Saini said that frequent elections hinder development work, as the administrative machinery remains engaged in the election process, directly affecting the general public. Citing Haryana as an example, he said that the state has undergone three major elections within the past year-- Lok Sabha elections from March to June 2024, the assembly elections from August to October, and the municipal elections from February to March 2025. He said that due to the imposition of the model code of conduct during these elections, the pace of development was disrupted. The administration was preoccupied with election duties, and the public had to bear the consequences. Moreover, the expenditure incurred on elections is also very high, said Saini. The chief minister said that 'One Nation, One Election' will not only save resources but will also reflect the people's sentiment that elections should be held simultaneously to avoid wastage of time and money. This would also increase public participation in the democratic process. Therefore, everyone should unanimously support this initiative, he said. He suggested that while deciding election dates, socio-cultural factors like agricultural seasons, festivals, wedding seasons, holidays, etc., should be considered to ensure maximum voter participation. Saini said that frequent elections reduce voter enthusiasm, which negatively impacts voter turnout. 'If elections are held once every five years, it will generate renewed enthusiasm among voters, thereby strengthening democracy and enhancing public participation,' he said. He added that 'One Nation, One Election' would make it possible to hold elections to both the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies simultaneously. This would ensure uniformity in voter awareness campaigns, better coordination in administrative preparations, and optimal use of resources, said the chief minister. Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli, Haryana chief electoral officer (CEO) Pankaj Agarwal, and other dignitaries were also present on this occasion.
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
JJP's Dushyant Chautala: ‘I will join the fight in Supreme Court for 75% local quota in private jobs'
2024 was a tumultuous year for Haryana-based Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and its founder Dushyant Chautala. In March last year, the BJP snapped ties with it just ahead of the Assembly polls. Dushyant, who was the Deputy CM in the outgoing government by virtue of the 10 seats the JJP had won in 2024, saw his party blanked out, with not a single seat and a vote share down to a mere 0.90%. Dushyant has been trying to revamp his party, and has now announced a membership drive. In an interview with The Indian Express, Dushyant says he is confident of the JJP's re-emergence as a force in Haryana, and says he hopes to venture into Rajasthan, Delhi, and Punjab. Excerpts: We are going to every booth across all the 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana. With an average enrollment of 5,000 new members in each of the 90 constituencies of Haryana, we plan to get at least five lakh new members in this ongoing membership drive. The JJP is also going to launch a mega drive to connect the youth with the party. I made a strong statement against the BJP just yesterday (Thursday). The Chief Minister has failed badly in controlling the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana. When the CM took over, his slogan was: 'Goonde pardesh chhod do (Gangsters, leave the state)'. Today goonde pradesh mein wapas aa rahe hain (gangsters are now coming back to the state). What happened in Shahbad last week (referring to the murder of a liquor contractor for which gangster Noni Rana claimed responsibility)? The CM was chairing a meeting with the DGP and liquor vendors assuring them safety and security. On the other hand, a liquor contractor was shot dead in full public view. A similar incident happened in Panchkula. Where is the CM? A recent example of inefficiency is the water crisis with Punjab… Mismanagement was the biggest reason behind Haryana not getting its legitimate share of water. Nobody took responsibility. He (Saini) was cracking jokes… At the all-party meeting that was chaired on the matter, I gave him (Saini) the idea of writing to the Centre to get paramilitary forces deployed at the Bhakra Nangal Dam. We have an organisation in Delhi as well as Rajasthan. We have appointed a new party president in Punjab. We have a structure in Uttar Pradesh. We are definitely going beyond Haryana and shall continue our expansion plans. It was a common minimum programme under which the alliance was done (after the 2019 Assembly polls). We (the JJP) were successful in getting our promises implemented by being a part of the government. Be it Panchayati Raj reservations or increasing the social security pension amount… We are still pursuing it. And the matter is now pending in the Supreme Court, so we are legally pursuing it. The next hearing is in November. We shall be requesting the Court to grant regular hearings in the matter. I even met the CM and requested the Solicitor General of India and Haryana Advocate General represent this case. I will personally be filing an application to be made a party in this case. There is no controversy. It is very clear. In 2018 too, I had said that we wanted to put his (Chautala's) picture (on the JJP's posters)… But at that time he was the president of the opposition political party (INLD). Legally, we could not use it. Today, everybody remembers him for his great achievements. Nobody in the JJP has ever said anything bad about him ever. He has always been our guiding force… The airport in Hisar has a very bright future. But the government needs professional people to run it. Until the government does not hire a CEO and other professional players, such plans can not be materialised. If handled well, this area can boom even bigger than Gurugram.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandrakant Patil urges universities to speed up professor recruitment
With the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) underway, the role of professors in delivering quality education has become increasingly critical. To ensure this, Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education Minister, Chandrakant Patil, has urged all university Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) to accelerate the recruitment process for faculty positions already approved by the state government. A recent meeting of university V-Cs, chaired by Patil, reviewed the progress of NEP implementation and addressed various education-related matters. The State government has approved the recruitment of 600 professor posts across universities, including Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). However, the hiring process faced several delays, initially due to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and later owing to adjustments in the reservation policy. Commenting about the delay, Patil said, 'More than 600 posts have been vacant for over a year. The main reason for the delay was a stay imposed by Governor Ramesh Bais. He had suggested handing over the recruitment process to the MPSC, but that was not practically feasible.' There hasn't been a major professor recruitment in SPPU for many years, leaving many teaching positions vacant. The government's recent approval had raised hopes among qualified, job-seeking candidates, but continued delays have renewed their concerns. 'If one candidate has a PhD from Pune University and another from Gadchiroli, how do you assign equal weightage? I told the governor that this confusion is delaying progress and affecting the education system,' Patil said. With municipal elections expected to be announced soon, there is a looming risk of further postponement. Minister Patil emphasised the urgency, stating that universities must complete the recruitment process at the earliest to ensure the effective rollout of NEP and address staffing shortages. When asked about the recruitment, SPPU V-C Suresh Gosavi said, 'We will follow all the instructions given to us regarding the recruitment process. Everything is lined up, and we will begin the process smoothly next month.' Commenting on the delayed process, PhD scholar Tukaram Shinde stated, 'Recruitment has not been done for many years, and it is affecting students' academics. Under the NEP, students deserve quality teaching, but one teacher is often handling two subjects and facing an excessive workload. Several departments in the varsity are understaffed, affecting the futures of the students.'
