'Democracy must stay sharp'

Leaders will come and go but the weapon of democracy must stay sharp in the hands of the people," said Pawan Khera, senior leader of the Indian National Congress, appealing to the audience to make sure they 'do not blunt the weapon of democracy' by watering it down through the 'One Nation, One Election' process.

Khera was speaking to a full auditorium at Karnavati University at a panel discussion on 'One Nation, One Election' mooted by PM Modi in which the government proposes to hold elections for the Lok Sabha as well as state assemblies, simultaneously.

Nilesh Shah, the MD of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd., speaking in support of the proposal, said, "During elections anywhere, the steel business goes, bank loans are down and cement business is also low. This is all part of a general slowdown in the economy during elections. This is why government spending increases by 15% during election years. Also, inflation is more in post-election years. We need to diverge growth from elections so that both of these are not affected by the other. The solution is to reduce the time of election by bringing in 'One Nation, One Election'."

Dr Sambit Patra, national spokesperson of the BJP also stressed, "A parliamentary standing committee has estimated that a one-time election will cost just Rs 4,500 crore, which is far less than what is spent in so many Vidhan Sabha elections."

On the amount of spending, Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a national media panellist of the Congress said, "The committee has estimated Rs 4,500 crore and the BJP says it will save money. But when this government is spending almost the same amount on publicity, I don't think they are bothered about the money." Dr Hitesh Bajpai, Chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation said, "The economic impact of elections can be reduced by one nation, one election. The whole administration, right down to the local level, is affected in both the elections. By reducing this to a single simultaneous election, we can also reduce the social impact by reducing the political atmosphere that permeates our society at these times."

Dr Patra also stated, "Niti Aayog has found that by 2021, we will have a model code of conduct for four months in a year. So, no work will be carried out and there will be policy paralysis."

However, the Congress was quick to point out that that the model code of conduct halts policy, not public works.

Akhilesh Pratap Singh said, "They say that development stops during election. During the time model code of conduct is in place, you cannot have a new policy, but there is nobody stopping the government from carrying out the works already promised to the public." Singh further said, "If you have not done any 'vikas' in the rest of the four-and a half years, you cannot do it in 45 days of model code of conduct."

Speaking on dilution of local issues in simultaneous elections, Khera said, "Today, we can concentrate on every local issue in state elections. If there is one election, then the only agenda will be that which is at the centre and local issues will be diluted."

Mismanagement at varsity

Mismanagement at varsity; PICS: NILKANTH DAVE

Scenes of chaos erupted outside Gate 2 of Karnavati University as students and participants who had come from far off cities had to wait for more than an hour as the gates remained closed without the management giving any reason as to why it was so. Even police personnel posted the gates where high-profile members of political parties and senior ministers of the state and union government were in attendance were unaware why the gates were closed as they had not been kept in the loop.

As a result, participants who wanted to exit the university had to go through Gate-4, which is more than 500 metres from the main road. There is no paved road and participants, including students and professors were seen wading through ankle-deep muck to reach the main roads, where the vehicles were parked.