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Multiple programmes with people from the business community, women, farmers, sportspersons and people from the media and entertainment industry are also in the pipeline
From the booth-level onwards, the BJP will organise programmes involving prominent citizens of society. (PTI)
A team of senior BJP leaders, led by Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has been given the responsibility of overseeing pan-India programmes to build consensus for the government’s ambitious ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal.
On behalf of the party, the coordination will be handled by BJP general secretary Sunil Bansal. Some of the committee members include Surendra Nagar, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Anil Antony and OP Dhankar. The committee will prepare a report on the programmes being conducted and submit it to the party top brass.
The move comes amid a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) holding deliberations on bringing everybody on board for the legislation, which is slated to change the election schedule in the country.
It has been learnt that an outreach programme will be organised pan-India and for every strata of society. “Sometime this month, we plan to hold a huge gathering of students from across the country to deliberate on what young India thinks of such a legislation,” a source told CNN-News18.
Apart from this, multiple programmes with people from the business community, women, farmers, sportspersons and people from the media and entertainment industry are also in the pipeline. From the booth-level onwards, the BJP will organise programmes involving prominent citizens of society.
“Programmes will be organised in constituencies of all MPs, both from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. These will not be political programmes, but those involving prominent citizens from the constituencies who will seek public support for such a reform,” the source added.
Deliberations will be conducted with support from educational, religious, professional, and trade organisations to seek the support of the common man who is the biggest stakeholder so far as elections are concerned.
Till last month, more than 300 programmes had already been conducted across the nation. Apart from some Union ministers and MPs, former vice-president of India Venkaiah Naidu was among those who participated in the discussion with prominent citizens, telling them about the merits of a “forward-looking” legislation.
During the passage of the Bill by the Union cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the public needs to be taken into confidence for a legislation like this and, therefore, widespread discussions and debates must be undertaken at every level.
Politically speaking, the government has majority in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, with the Centre being a coalition government. However, to pass the legislation — which requires amendments to be made to the Indian Constitution — the government needs 2/3rd majority. Therefore, the JPC is also discussing the Bill in great detail so that opposition parties can be brought on board for passing the legislation.
