Anurag Thakur backs ‘One Nation, One Election’; slams Congress over Waqf

BJP MP Anurag Thakur has strongly advocated for the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’, claiming it would save time, money, and improve governance.

 

He was speaking to the reporters in Srinagar at an event on ‘One Nation, One Election’.

 

Thakur said simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections would significantly reduce administrative burden.

 

“Holding elections once every five years will save thousands of crores of rupees, reduce the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, and allow government employees to focus on their core responsibilities,” he said. “Frequent elections divert officials and paramilitary forces from their primary duties.”

 

He stressed that staggered elections slow down development, and added that from 1952 to 1967, India followed the ‘One Nation, One Election’ model, and it was only after the Congress started toppling governments that elections became fragmented.

 

He said it is time to bring it back, and added that the Election Commission, Law Commission, and now a high-level committee have all supported the proposal.

 

Taking a dig at the opposition, Thakur said the people will ask Congress and other parties, ‘why are you afraid of simultaneous elections?’. “Why oppose a move that saves time, money, and improves governance? It’s not just about politics, it’s about the nation’s progress,” he said.

 

He said BJP has consistently supported the idea, as reflected in its manifestos. “Just as we fulfilled our promises on Article 370, the Ram Mandir, the triple talaq law, and the CAA, we are committed to this as well. We don’t just talk—we deliver,” the BJP MP said.

 

Thakur also accused the Congress of allowing Waqf properties—estimated to be worth over Rs 2 lakh crore—to remain under the control of a few hundred individuals, depriving ordinary Muslims of potential welfare benefits.

 

“These properties, if properly managed, could generate at least Rs 12,000 crore annually, which could be used for the education, healthcare, and upliftment of poor and marginalised Muslims, including divorced women and Pasmanda communities,” he said.

 

He alleged that the Congress, in the name of vote bank politics, blocked reforms that could have brought transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf assets. “Instead of helping Muslims, Congress ended up harming them.”

 

About the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, he said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised the restoration of statehood and it will happen at an appropriate time.

India