BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal says ONOE will accelerate development

Jaipur, Aug 30 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Sunil Bansal on Saturday said simultaneous polls would bring about significant social, economic and political changes and help accelerate the nation's development.

Bansal said that between 1951 and 1967, India successfully held four general elections simultaneously, but political instability set in after former prime minister Indira Gandhi's decisions in the 1970s, which led to several fractured political mandates.

"Due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, which lasts 150-200 days annually in every state, development work for the public comes to a standstill," Bansal said, addressing a conclave of student leaders here.

"In these 30 years, elections have consumed about Rs 5-7 lakh crore rupees. If the cost of elections is reduced to half with the implementation of 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE), it will give a much-needed boost to national development," he said.

He said that if the youth support ONOE, the nation will take one step closer to realising "the dream of a developed India by 2047".

BJP's Rajasthan unit president, Madan Rathore, said simultaneous elections were standard practice after Independence. However, the country faced political instability later due to the policies of Congress, he said. "This issue is not of one political party, but of the nation," Rathore said. PTI SDA SKY SKY