IS IT FEASIBLE TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS ‘TOMORROW’? : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 IS IT FEASIBLE TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS ‘TOMORROW’?

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Hans India (17-05-2022)

              Amit Shah addressing a public meeting near Hyderabad disclosed his dream desire that the Bharatiya Janata Party would win the next assembly election hands down even if the polls were held as early as the next day. He even challenged KCR to declare the election ‘tomorrow’ and they are ready for it. It shows that Amit Shah is unaware of the constitutional requirement and election commission laws that elections to the state assembly cannot be held as and when an individual not to speak of an opposition party leader demands.

             The fact is that it is purely the prerogative of the Chief Minister to prefer for an early poll when he enjoys the majority in the assembly and even then, they cannot be held the ‘next day’ of dissolution, since it must take its own process. The Election Commission has to take in to account all pros and cons before announcing the schedule and certainly not the next day of dissolution! These gimmick talks by a responsible leader of the caliber of a Union Home Minister is in a way unbecoming of him.

Amit Shah, whenever he visits Hyderabad and Telangana state, funnily turns hysterical and utters exceeding his limits and in the process exposes himself. Amit Shah who illogically questioned the propriety and rationale for dissolution of State Assembly and going for early elections alleging that it involves huge expenditure during 2018 has preferred now to push KCR for an early poll dreaming that his party would win the battle. Both in 2014 and 2018 assembly elections BJP won negligible number of seats and God alone knows from where he will get majority in the forthcoming elections as and when they are held.

It may not be out of context if it is mentioned here that when KCR decided to go for early polls in 2018 which was reasonable, constitutional, legal and justifiable, the same Amit Shah questioned KCR alleging that he was the first CM of any state to have recommended for dissolution of assembly and going for an early election causing huge expenditure to the exchequer. That time his argument was that such an act never ever happened in India earlier. That was shear ignorance of the concurrent history and how can a person of Amit Shah stature be so ignorant and not aware of political happenings in the country. And now he went on record demanding to conduct polls the very next day which is impossible by any means.

Notwithstanding all this to put the things straight, it is not Amit Shah who decides when a state should go for election particularly when the party in power in that state enjoys absolute majority. If he so desires, he can recommend to Prime Minister to dissolve Lok Sabha where BJP enjoys absolute majority. In India recommending to President of India or the Governor of a state, for dissolution of either Lok Sabha or State Assembles before completion of its term and prefer an early election is not new.

         Constitution of India which provides full five-year term to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies also through Articles 85 and 174 empowers the President and Governors, to dissolve legislatures before the expiry of term on the recommendation of concerned Council of Ministers only but certainly not on the recommendation of other than CM or PM as the case may be. Then how can Amit Shah attempt to propel CM KCR to declare elections? What is the justification behind Amit Shaw demanding KCR for an early poll which amounts to dissolution of assembly almost a year and half in advance? Will he digest if the opposition parties nationwide demand for an early poll for Lok Sabha by dissolving it earlier than its actual expiry of full term?

It is only the CM or PM, as the case may be as long as he or she enjoys absolute majority in the House, has unquestionable and absolute right, to recommend for dissolution of legislature, whether it is for political, administrative reasons or otherwise. Constitution provided for this, and no one has any say in this not to speak of a responsible person like Amit Shah.

            Then a question may arise as to why KCR preferred dissolution of the house during his first term. For dissolution of legislatures Constitution is highly flexible. CM KCR made use of these flexible provisions to put an end to the then prevailing political fragility in the state and to prevent hurdles for continuation of developmental and welfare programs.

Shah even alleged that not a single promise made before the previous polls has been fulfilled by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to the state. He labeled KCR governance as the one that has been following dynasty politics and added that he has not seen such a corrupt government in his 57 years of life. In the process of his 30-minute checkered speech Amit Shah castigated in many ways the KCR government and as in the past it included full of blatant lies.

Amit also attempted to mislead people when he said that the TRS Government did not fulfil its promises made in election manifesto. In fact, neither his BJP nor the Congress Party that ruled the country alternately for most of the time, never-ever fulfilled the electoral promises they made in every election they won. For the first time in the country, here is a government which fulfilled all the electoral promises. In addition, umpteen schemes and programs that were not part of 2014 and 2018 manifestos, were also initiated and implemented in the state by TRS Government. If these are also considered, then, it is more than 200% implementation of manifesto! Amit Shah Ji should make a note of this please.

This demands an unconditional and unequivocal apology from Union Home Minister and BJP national leader Amit Shah to the people of Telangana, for uttering blatant lies, falsehood and insulting the Telangana state and its people. Confronting and countering Amit Shah’s utterances with detailed statistics, State Municipal Administration and IT Minister KT Rama Rao described him as ‘Badusha of lies.

Addressing a media conference KTR repeatedly proved Amit Shah’s comments and statements as baseless and far from truth and charged the BJP National Leader with indulging in malicious propaganda to show Telangana State in poor light and attempting to scuttle its growth.

It is appropriate to mention here and remind Amit Shah that several new and innovative initiatives taken by the Telangana government have won appreciation from Chief Ministers of other states, Central ministers including the Prime Minister, NITI Aayog Vice Chairmen and even from heads of States abroad.

Telangana is just not competing with the neighboring state or other states, or even Centre. But is in global competition and literally competing with countries abroad. The fact is that everyone is openly saying to emulate the Telangana State model. UNDP and NITI Aayog have praised Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha way back itself, but union government did not grant even a single rupee for these schemes. Not even a single project from the State was declared as a national project.