Odisha: BJD supports simultaneous polls with riders

New Delhi: Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today supported the idea of simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, albeit with certain riders.

Deposing before the Law Commission — that has invited all national and state recognised parties for face to face consultations on simultaneous polls — BJD MP Pinaki Misra said that his party is among the first to have mooted this proposal several years ago and supports it.

“The historical fact is that our party was the first to moot this idea and in fact boldly implemented it in 2004…when our Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took the unprecedented and visionary step of dissolving the satate assembly and preponing our assembly elections to coincide with Parliament elections,” Misra said after meeting the law panel.

He, however, said that his party was “strongly against” any dilution of the anti-defection provisions for the sake of prolonging the life of Lok Sabha or any state assembly in case the government loses its majority prematurely.

“Instead we would suggest adoption of the German model by which no vote of ‘no confidence’ can be entertained unless it is also accompanied by a vote of confidence proposal. This will ensure that no government can be vote dout without also at the same time voting in a fresh government,” he added.