New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming special session of Parliament commencing on September 18, the Congress party has taken a firm stance against a proposed Bill on Appointment of Election Commissioners at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Telangana’s Hyderabad on Saturday.
This bill, scheduled for discussion and potential passage during the session, seeks to establish a committee responsible for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners. The Congress party contends that this move is aimed at eroding the autonomy of the election body.
According to the Parliamentary Bulletin, one of the key bills slated for discussion in the special session of Parliament is the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill.
This bill concerning the appointment of Election Commissioners was presented in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on August 10.
Additionally, the Congress Party firmly opposed the “one nation, one election” proposal, considering it a violation of constitutional principles.
P. Chidambaram, senior Congress leader, has criticised the “one nation, one election” proposal, describing it as an attack on federalism and a tactic to divert attention from pressing issues.
“We reject it. It is an attack on federalism. It will require at least five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows that it does not have the numbers to pass these Constitutional amendments. Yet if it puts forward this mirage of One Nation, One Election, it is only to divert attention from the pressing issues and to create a false narrative,” Chidambaram Said on “one nation, one election.
The Central Government had earlier established an eight-member High-Level Committee tasked with examining the issue of ‘one nation, one election’ and providing recommendations for conducting simultaneous elections across the nation.
This was the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee, the party’s top decision-making body under Mallikarjun Kharge’s presidency.
“We also strongly condemn the Government’s attempts to stifle opposition in Parliament and curtail public scrutiny in the Parliament. The forthcoming Special Session of Parliament raises concerns about the ruling party’s intentions,” said Kharge in opening remarks of the Congress Working Committee Meeting.
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