SRINAGAR: ‘One nation, one election’ would be decided upon after consultation with all political parties, according to former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, a member of the high-level committee established to examine the viability of simultaneous elections. “Only an initial meeting was held. It was a welcome meeting. I disagree that it needs to be implemented right away, as some have suggested, because national, regional, and recognised parties will need to be consulted first. It is necessary to consult with many individuals, Azad told the reporters gathered here.It’s also incorrect to believe that the committee will decide on its own, according to the seasoned politician who was appointed to the Ram Nath Kovind-led group. We’ll look for opinions from everyone. The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in both houses of parliament despite being 30 years late, according to the former president of J&K and chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), who also praised political parties for letting go of their inflexible positions. It arrived too late. It ought to have arrived 15–20 years earlier… Even 30 years earlier would have been preferable. Earlier attempts, such as those made during the UPA, encountered opposition from several constituent parties.There was no consensus.Now, at least, there is consensus, and both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha approved it. The government and all the parties who this time around did not adhere to their rigidity and backed the law deserve praise for it, he continued. The previous chief minister commented on the “delay” in holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by stating that elections are essential to democracy and must be held, notwithstanding the delay. “The idea that there won’t be any elections is absurd. Democracy won’t exist if there are no elections.And the elections, particularly the assembly elections, are not only late but also past due. Assembly elections haven’t been held in a while, but parliamentary elections are always held on schedule and without incident.
