Former Union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said 'One Nation, One Election' is the need of the hour and that political parties should not have a "prejudiced mindset" on the issue.
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In an interaction with journalists, he pitched for holding simultaneous elections, an idea often pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said political parties should move forward towards this important electoral reform.
Political parties need to give priority to national interests over political interests so that this "significant and path-breaking" electoral reform takes place, Mr. Naqvi said.
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Most opposition parties have protested against the idea of holding Lok Sabha and various state assembly polls simultaneously in the country.
With one or other election being held at regular intervals, all political parties remain "election machines all the time".
This also causes wastage of public money and hampers development work. People, too, become unenthusiastic towards this "festival of democracy" due to frequent elections, Mr. Naqvi said in a statement.
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He noted that Mr. Modi, on several occasions, has called for 'One Nation, One Election' but some political parties adopted an apathetic and negative approach towards the issue.
Those who have a habit of "cursing" Mr. Modi regularly are unable to digest his honesty, hard work and commitment to "decisions with delivery", Mr. Naqvi said, adding that the country's politics is now no longer restricted to a "family cradle". It has become a medium to make people a precious partner in progress and prosperity, he said.
Socio-economic and educational reforms under the Modi government will make India's coming generations and the country's democratic system better and more credible, he said.