Tharoor's Stance: Examining Simultaneous Elections Debate

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the government for not having the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment regarding simultaneous elections. The introduction of two bills saw significant opposition, with claims of it being an attack on federalism. Tharoor called the initiative a folly driven by political motives.

On Tuesday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sharply criticized the government's move to introduce two bills for simultaneous elections, highlighting the BJP's lack of a two-thirds majority to pass a constitutional amendment.

The bills, aimed at synchronizing election timelines, were introduced amid a heated debate in the Lok Sabha. Tharoor, along with other opposition members, called it an assault on the nation's federal architecture. He questioned the logic behind collapsing state governments when the central government falls, labeling the approach as inconsistent with India's parliamentary system.

Tharoor pointed out that previous attempts to establish fixed terms were abandoned in 1969 due to the parliamentary system's need for flexibility. He argued that such changes could lead to future instability without solving the underlying issues, calling the proposal a 'folly' given today's vote results showing BJP's lack of necessary support for constitutional changes.

(With inputs from agencies.)