Panel Will Study The ‘1 Nation, 1 Poll' Issue

11 parties, including Congress, DMK, BSP, Trinamool Congress and AAP, skip four-hour meeting

- Sobhana K Nair & Sandeep Phukan

A committee will be formed by the Narendra Modi-led government to prepare a road map for “One nation, one election”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced here at the end of an over four-hour meeting with presidents of 21 political parties.

Eleven political parties, including the Congress, skipped the meeting convened by the Prime Minister.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Mr. Singh said: “Majority of the parties supported. CPI and CPI(M) raised questions about its feasibility but didn’t oppose the move. The Prime Minister then said he will form a committee regarding this issue.”

All the political parties were given the opportunity to put forth their views, after which Mr. Modi spoke in support of the idea. “The Prime Minister said that this is not the government’s agenda but the country’s agenda. If there are differences of opinion, they are welcome,” Mr. Singh quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

Sources said Mr. Modi stressed that this formula needs to be accepted even if it takes 10 years to achieve synchronisation.

Other than the Congress, the notable absentees included the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, among others.