"Govt could have held deliberations before such big decision": Rajasthan CM on Centre's push for 'One Nation, One Elections'

Phalodi: A day after a High-Level Committee on the possibility of simultaneous elections in the country was constituted, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at the Centre saying that the government could have taken such a "big decision after holding deliberations with the opposition". 

Gehlot said that a process could have been followed and that now people in the country are doubting the intentions of the government. 
The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country - 'One Nation, One Election'.

The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind as chairman, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

Responding to it, Gehlot, while addressing a gathering in Phalodi said, "This is such a big decision. You would have held deliberations with the opposition parties together and maybe all would have decided together. Then if you had formed a committee, people would have believed...But now your (BJP-led Central government's) intentions are being doubted, whether you want to establish democracy (in the country) or not."

The state Chief Minister said that while he believes in democracy, the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre has worn a facade of democracy. 
"Any criticism against me in a democracy makes me happy. If the criticism holds ground, then I make reforms, because I believe in a democracy. This only benefits the public. If someone criticizes them (BJP leaders), they feel bad...Hundreds of people are in jail in the country for criticizing the government... wearing the mask of our democracy. You are wearing a facade of democracy," Gehlot added. 

The notification of the high-level panel by the Centre came just days after it announced a special session of the Parliament from September 18 to 22, on the same day the two-day Mumbai conclave of the INDIA bloc was in progress. 

However, the government remained tight-lipped on the issues to be taken up during the special session.
Opposition leaders slammed the BJP-led Centre for announcing a special session without holding prior consultations with them or informing the Business Advisory Committee.

According to the Centre, the high-level committee shall start functioning immediately and make recommendations at the earliest.
Further, according to the official notification, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, however, declined to serve on the panel, saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”.
Simultaneous elections for the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha were held till 1967.

However, in 1968 and 1969 some legislative assemblies were dissolved prematurely followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970. This forced a change in electoral schedules for the states and the country.