A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for simultaneous elections across the country, Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog Rajiv Kumar backed the idea at a seminar here. Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar organised by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Kumar said holding simultaneous polls will save a lot of money, which can be used for development. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahastrabuddhe is the vice president of the Prabodhini, a think tank-cum-political training institute, which has organised a two-day national convention on 'One Nation, One Election'. A huge amount of money is used for holding elections, and if 'One Nation, One Election' policy is accepted, the country can save a lot of money and spend it on developmental and infrastructure projects, Kumar was quoted as stating in his keynote address in a release issued by the Prabodhini. He expressed hope that simultaneous elections would be a reality soon, the release added. Sahastrabuddhe, who is also the president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), said in his speech that One Nation, One Election is an idea whose time has come. It will be the "mother of all political reforms", the release quoted him as saying. Yesterday, prime minister Modi strongly pitched for holding simultaneous Lok Sabha, assembly and local body polls, saying the relentless electoral cycle harms the federal structure, besides costing a lot of money and affecting government's works.
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