Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Apr 22: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president OP Rajbhar on Tuesday reiterated strong support for the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, urging its prompt implementation to streamline the country’s electoral process.

“Elections were originally held simultaneously after independence. Over time, that pattern was disrupted. There is an urgent need to return to that system. We want ‘One Nation, One Election’ to be implemented at the earliest,” Rajbhar told.

His endorsement comes as the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman PP Chaudhary announced that nationwide consultations on the proposal will begin on May 17, starting in Maharashtra, followed by Uttarakhand, J&K, Chandigarh, and Punjab.

On the issue of unrest in West Bengal over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, Rajbhar criticised CM Mamata Banerjee, saying, “It is the Chief Minister’s responsibility to maintain law and order. If she can’t manage it, she should ask for help from the Centre. If not, President’s Rule becomes necessary in such situations.”

Responding to allegations by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over crimes against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, Rajbhar dismissed the claims as “baseless propaganda.”

“Akhilesh is lying. Under his government, there was goonda raj. From police recruitment to village-level appointments, everything was influenced by caste bias. He talks of justice but did nothing for his Muslim vote bank,” he said.

Yadav had alleged on Monday that BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh top the list in crimes against Dalits, especially women. Referring to a recent killing of a Dalit youth in Prayagraj, Yadav said it reflected deep-rooted caste oppression.

He also accused the BJP of promoting authoritarianism and shielding powerful individuals involved in atrocities against Dalits and other marginalized communities.