The debate over the proposed One Nation One Election intensified in Bengaluru on Saturday as the Bharatiya Janata Party backed the initiative while the Indian National Congress strongly opposed it during consultations held by the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The committee held discussions with political parties at the Taj West End regarding the proposed constitutional amendment linked to simultaneous elections across the country.
The Karnataka BJP submitted a memorandum supporting the implementation of simultaneous elections. State BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra, along with several senior leaders and MPs including P. C. Mohan, Yaduveer Wadiyar and C. N. Manjunath, participated in the meeting.
On the other hand, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D. K. Shivakumar strongly opposed the proposal, calling it a politically motivated move aimed at centralising power and weakening India's federal structure.
"As KPCC President and as Deputy Chief Minister of the Karnataka Government, I categorically reject this proposal," Shivakumar said during the interaction. He also pointed out that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing the concept.
Questioning the practicality of simultaneous elections, Shivakumar asked how elections across states with different political timelines and terms could realistically be synchronised. He also raised concerns about situations where governments collapse mid-term due to no-confidence motions or loss of majority.
He further alleged that the proposal was aimed at weakening regional and Opposition parties and reiterated that the Karnataka government supports the Congress party's national stand against the initiative.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar urged political parties not to politicise education-related issues, particularly the ongoing controversy surrounding the state government's move to remove the ban on hijab and other religious symbols in educational institutions.
Speaking in Udupi, Hebbalkar said students should not be dragged into political debates and stressed that their education and future must remain the priority.
"There should be no interference in education. Students are innocent. Parents send their children to schools and colleges to build their careers, and no political party should indulge in politics at the cost of students," she said.
The minister also reacted to banners projecting D.K. Shivakumar as Karnataka's future Chief Minister, saying such decisions would ultimately be taken by the Congress high command. Hebbalkar, who is considered close to Shivakumar, described the banners as expressions of affection by supporters.
Commenting on the economic situation and recent fuel price hikes, Hebbalkar alleged that the Centre avoided increasing petrol and diesel prices during elections and implemented hikes immediately after polling concluded. She also referred to remarks by Rahul Gandhi, claiming he had warned the government months earlier about a possible economic crisis.
The minister criticised repeated public appeals by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding fuel conservation and reduced gold purchases, questioning what corrective measures the government itself had taken to address the situation.
Hebbalkar further alleged that despite relatively stable global crude oil prices over the last decade, the Centre continued to burden citizens with high fuel prices. She also assured strict action if allegations of money collection at government-run Anganwadi centres were found to be true.
