BJD cautions against rushing through with simultaneous polls proposal

New Delhi: The Biju Janata Dal on Thursday cautioned against rushing through with the 'one nation, one election' proposal and called for a thorough legislative scrutiny of the measure it had supported initially.

BJD MP Sasmit Patra told PTI Videos that several critical issues should be clarified before moving forward with the initiative of holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha, legislative assemblies and local bodies.

"The party (Biju Janata Dal) initially supported the idea of 'one nation, one election', but what we are worried about are the contours, the ideas, and the fine print," Patra said.

His remarks came after the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for 'one nation, one election' as recommended by the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind.

Patra emphasised the need for thorough scrutiny, cautioning against rushing the proposal through without proper consideration.

"I hope the Centre does not rush through 'one nation, one election' as they did with the farm laws. Otherwise, it would again be met with bitterness and opposition," he said.

He called for open discussions involving not just political parties but also civil society and the media.

"But if you want to bring it, do it through legislative scrutiny. There are standing committees; let them examine it before passing it in the House," he noted.