The Hindu : Naidu calls for single-day, simultaneous election

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Naidu calls for single-day, simultaneous election

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai May 31. The BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, today mooted a single-day, simultaneous election to Parliament, State Assemblies, panchayats and cooperative societies. He also renewed the call for a nationwide debate on the need for ensuring a full five-year term of the Lok Sabha even if the ruling establishment lost its majority.

A confidence motion should follow a no-confidence motion against any Government so that an alternative set-up would be in place and Parliament too would run its five-year term.

Mr. Naidu was addressing a meeting held here to mark the presentation of the former State Minister, H.V. Hande's book, Our Constitution-Distortions during the Emergency - And the Need for a Review.

Mr. Naidu explained that the BJP's call for simultaneous elections at all levels had arisen from the "wish of the people" that polls should be a one-time affair so that political parties could focus on development. "Otherwise, there will be only election, collection and selection. We need to focus on development."

The BJP leader renewed his controversial call for a common civil code, but hastened to add the party did not mean to usher in a "Hindu civil code", and that it only wanted a law common to all people.

Mr. Naidu also pushed for scrapping the anti-defection law, which allowed "wholesale" defections of elected representatives and barred only "retail" crossover. "Like family planning norms, there should be defection norms as well. "If we switch parties, we should relinquish the posts we hold".

Also, there should be nationwide debate on the Venkatachaliah Commission on constitutional reforms to address "weaknesses and grey areas".

Making a strong case for continuation of Article-356, which empowers the Centre to dismiss State Governments in case of breakdown of constitutional norms, the BJP leader asked "how else could we deal with the jungle raj in Bihar. However, political parties were taking a contradictory view on the issue depending on whether they were "in position or in the Opposition."

Referring to withdrawal of essential rights during the Emergency period in the 1970s, Mr.Naidu said only eternal vigil by the people, and not politicians, would safeguard democracy.

Hitting out at those claiming to be secular, he said secularism would survive in India not because of any political party or even the BJP, but because the concept of equal respect to all religions was rooted in the country's culture.

Referring to the hostile behaviour of elected representatives in Parliament and Legislatures, he said that the BJP considered no party its political enemy. "But what is happening in Tamil Nadu is not good for the State or the country."

Introducing his book, Mr. Hande said the 53-year-old Constitution required a master check-up and that the Vajpayee Government would return to power with a clear majority and revamp the Constitution. He also said the Janata Government, in which A.B.Vajpayee was Cabinet Minister, restored the freedom of the Press taken away during the Emergency period.

S. Mohan, former Supreme Court judge, underscored the supremacy of the Constitution. The BJP State president, C.P. Radhakrishnan, and the national secretary, L.Ganesan, spoke.

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