BJP launches campaign to gather support for ONOE initiative

Intensifying efforts to push for ‘One Nation, One Election,’ the BJP on Sunday launched a statewide outreach campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

A key meeting was held in the state capital under the chairmanship of former governor of Bihar Phagu Chauhan and in the presence of BJP’s UP general secretary (Organisation) Dharampal Singh to mobilise public support for the Modi government’s initiative.

The meeting, conducted by BJP general secretary and MLC Anoop Gupta, focussed on strategies to engage various sections of society, NGOs, and the general public in favour of simultaneous elections.

Addressing the gathering, former governor Chauhan highlighted that holding simultaneous elections would save both time and resources while ensuring uninterrupted governance.

“India conducted synchronised elections from 1951 to 1967, and the idea is not new,” he pointed out, asserting the proposal was very much practical.

Dharampal Singh emphasised that frequent elections lead to wastage of resources and manpower, and reminded that BJP had included ‘One Nation, One Election’ in its 1984 manifesto.

Anoop Gupta elaborated on the proposal, stating that while the focus was on holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together, local body and panchayat polls would remain separate.

To build consensus, BJP will organise discussions and seminars involving academicians, social workers, students, and women across Uttar Pradesh. Key events include a seminar at Banaras Hindu University, a traders’ meeting in Kanpur, and a social organisations’ gathering in Lucknow in late February or early March. Rallies by students and youth groups will also be part of the campaign.

Prominent attendees included BJP state leaders, senior advocates, trader representatives, and NGO heads.