One Nation One Election will boost GDP by 1.5%: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
On Saturday, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman denied the "false propaganda" being disseminated on the "One Nation, One Election" project, emphasizing that the idea will not be used in the next elections.Speaking at a gathering outside of Chennai, Sitharaman stated, "The 2024 Lok Sabha elections cost close to ₹1 lakh crore. Simultaneous elections might save such a huge amount of money.
Concurrent elections for the State and Lok Sabha Assemblies, she said, could add almost 1.5% to the nation's GDP, or ₹4.5 lakh crore. "This exemplifies the One Nation, One Election principle in black and white.
The nation's exchequer will save about ₹12,000 crore thanks to ONOE. She stated that the money saved by owning ONOE might be put toward a variety of development projects.
About 10 lakh security guards and almost 25 lakh administrative officials were stationed at 12 lakh polling places for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, which cost ₹1 lakh crore (provisional), she stated.
All welfare measures are disrupted for almost three months due to the Model Code of Conduct being notified due to frequent elections," she stated. ONOE and simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were not a novel idea. She said that it took place in the 1960s and 1970s. Only after 2029, when the President starts the process and the Election Commission is given authority, will simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and Assembly take place.
In order to ease concerns that simultaneous polling will occur during the upcoming elections, she clarified that the Lok Sabha and State Assembly election cycles would only be synchronized in 2034. Only the Lok Sabha and Assembly are up for simultaneous voting. She emphasized that municipal elections are not included. According to Sitharaman, "we are laying the foundation now to help the next generation." "I implore everyone to back ONOE in order to foster the nation's development.
