News
Modi pitches for simultaneous parliamentary, state assembly and local body polls across India

bY S VENKAT NARAYAN,
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, once again pitched his One Nation, One Election idea —- simultaneous parliamentary, state assembly, and local body polls. He said this is not just a matter of debate, but a requirement for India.
Addressing presiding officers of legislatures from across India by video link, Modi also suggested a common voters list for all elections to prevent a waste of resources. He maintained that simultaneous elections at every level should be held using a common voter list.
“Every few months, we see an election in some part of the country. You all know what is the impact of these polls on development. There is a need for a deeper study and discussion on the issue, and I suggest that presiding officers may lead such discussions,” Modi said.
Holding elections in the world’s largest democracy is also possibly the most expensive on the planet. For example, New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies (CMS) has estimated that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone had cost INR 550 billion or $8 billion —- six times more than what the 1998 general election had cost.
Last year’s Lok Sabha polls had involved 900 million voters, went on for 75 days, extravagant rallies, widespread advertising in newspapers, on TV, radio and social media. In quite a few of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, candidates would have spent as much as INR 400 million! Several thousand security personnel and government employees get involved in conducting the polls. And administration across the country comes to a grinding halt.
Every time there is an election in a state, or local body polls, the same process gets repeated on a smaller scale, and no administrative work gets done because government officials get busy organizing the polls.
The One Nation, One Election idea was first pitched by Modi in 2015. It is also on the agenda of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The idea entails one election every five years for the Lok Sabha, states, even corporations. But it has met stiff resistance from rival parties.
Last year, the main Congress Party had skipped a meeting called by the PM on the issue, and the Left parties dubbed it as a “back-door way of replacing our parliamentary democracy”.
The issue has starkly divided India’s political parties. Its advocates have argued the move will help focus on governance, reduce expenditure, and help channel security forces more efficiently.
Its critics, including the Congress, have alleged that the move will undermine democratic accountability, the federal structure and also pointed to its lack of feasibility within the constitutional scheme.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the Prime Minister has been pushing for simultaneous elections but any such measure requires structural changes in Constitution. “It is also against the very essence of democracy. So, we think it is just a rhetoric,” he added.
Describing the presiding officers as a bridge between the public and the Constitution, Modi hit out indirectly at the Congress for imposing Emergency rule in the 1975. He said it was an attempt to dilute the separation of power of the three wings of the state, but that the Constitution eventually provided a solution.
“After the Emergency, the system of checks and balances kept getting stronger as the legislature, executive and judiciary moved ahead, learning from the episode,” he said.
On Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India, Modi said the national charter had also helped India tackle the challenges posed by Covid-19 by enabling the passage of several laws to help the people. He praised parliamentarians for accepting pay cuts and working more to increase Parliament’s productivity.
The Prime Minister cautioned against a tendency of keeping projects pending, citing the example of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, which was stuck for years, delaying the benefits that accrued to the people of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan when it was finally constructed.
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President invites exporters to rise again from the economic setback

President Anura Kumar Disanayake invited Sri Lankan exporters to rebuild and thrive on a robust economic foundation.
The President emphasized that our country faces the challenge of capturing market share from a position of relative weakness. He pointed out that, to overcome this, external support had to be sought. In this regard, he highlighted that the government is prepared to provide assistance for recovery based on the current economic stability.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake made these remarks at the 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), was held on Friday (07) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of President Anura Kumar Disanayake.
The main objective of the awards ceremony is to recognize exporters who have made significant contributions to the economic development of Sri Lanka.
The Presidential Export Award, presented by the President, is the highest honour for Sri Lankan exporters who have made significant contributions to the export sector and economic development.
The Presidential Export Awards program, initiated by the EDB in 1981, has been held annually to recognize Sri Lanka’s top exporters. The awards ceremony for the 2023/24 financial year took place this year.
A total of 14 major awards and 51 awards in the categories of production and services were presented, with recipients gaining the opportunity to use the Presidential Export Award logo as a marketing tool for three years.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake further emphasized the critical importance of the trust placed in Sri Lanka by international economic stakeholders to stabilize the country’s economy. He noted that the global market economy is interconnected, not entirely independent.
He further pointed out that the primary challenge facing Sri Lanka is securing a substantial share of the market amidst the current global division of markets and the ongoing competition to reclaim market shares.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake noted that the global market has become an interconnected network. He emphasized that in order for the country to become a key participant in this market, it must engage in trade agreements that are beneficial to Sri Lanka. He cautioned that aggressive, reckless approaches to market penetration would not be successful, stressing the need for strategic, thoughtful engagement.
The President further stated that the government is already taking steps to provide the necessary technical support for Sri Lankan exporters to enter the market with high-quality products. He highlighted the government’s focus on supplying new goods and services in response to global changes, in line with international market trends.
Regarding the reduction of electricity bills, the President mentioned that the government is prioritizing renewable energy sources to maintain long-term stability in energy costs. He added that efforts are underway to lower costs and ensure stable pricing over the next few years.
President Disanayake also emphasized that the government is committed to playing a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s economy to new heights. He noted that even small or misguided decisions can have significant negative impacts on the economy, and therefore, decisions regarding the economy must be made with great caution and foresight.
In his remarks, the President assured that the government is fully committed to fulfilling exporters’ requests, which are vital to strengthening the nation’s economy and maintaining a strong economic foundation.
Finally, the President invited Sri Lankan exporters to unite in strengthening the economy, stressing the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding to navigate the challenges of economic recovery and growth effectively.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished individuals, including Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Duminda Hulangamuwa, along with various Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentarians, foreign diplomats, Secretaries to the Ministries, and members of the EDB.
[PMD]
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