One nation, one election a certainty in Modi's 3rd term: Top BJP sources
‘One nation, one election’ will "most certainly" be implemented in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA dispensation, top government and BJP sources said on Sunday.
The ruling party is also drafting a plan to realise the Prime Minister's pledge of bringing one lakh politically unaffiliated youth into politics, sources said.
Interacting with a select group of journalists here today, a top government functionary said, "‘One nation, one election’ which the PM announced in his Independence Day speech will most certainly come in this term itself."
About the PM's announcement on bringing fresh talent into politics to root out family-based political dynasties in India, the top BJP source said although the PM had urged all parties to work in this direction the ruling BJP "will under a comprehensive plan induct youth into politics".
The focus will principally be on SC, ST and OBC youth, sources said.
The interaction was planned on the eve of completion of the Modi government's hundred days and the achievements in this period.
The government said stable policies and evidence-based reforms across sectors had pushed the Indian growth story forward in these hundred days.
"When you see the achievements across segments you find a beautiful painting emerging," official sources said rejecting opposition accusations of jobless GDP growth and calling for the need to see jobs as a broader segment rather than as mere synonym to government employment.
"If Rs 11 lakh crore has been set aside for infrastructure, will this not boost employment?" asked a top government source hailing national achievements in internal security, diplomacy, law and order and governance fronts under Modi.
On diplomacy, this source said India had finally shown to the world that its foreign policy had a spine.
Top sources counted the following as major achievements in the first 100 days of government -- public procurement at MSP – 120% as against 30% under Congress-led UPA; non-discriminatory delivery of basic facilities to 60 crore poor; approval of infrastructure schemes worth Rs 3 lakh crore in the first three months of the Modi government; issuance of certificates to 11 lakh women who freshly began earning over Rs 1 lakh a year; reduction in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir; rollout of new criminal laws and 140 reforms in GST regime to make the system robust and more efficient.
Asked about Manipur, sources said Kuki groups were suspicious about Assam Rifles being replaced with CRPF but after three rounds of talks with them a resolution is assured.
"One battalion has been replaced and more will be replaced soon," the top source said, adding that the security forces have adequate modern weapons to deal with the situation at hand.
On Jammu and Kashmir, sources said "three families will not win the J-K election: Abdullahs, Muftis and the Congress family."
Asked whether the BJP could work with someone like Engineer Rashid should a need arise in JK post poll scenario, the source said "No."
The source, however, added there are seven small parties and 32 independents in fray in JK and the BJP could work with them after poll results.
The BJP source also sounded confident of winning Haryana and Maharashtra despite anti-incumbency, saying BJP governments were a natural choice of people.
"We are ideologically committed people. We have lost more elections than we have won. We will go to the people on our ideology and we are not defensive at all," the top leader said.
The leader also said Uniform Civil Code was a work in progress.
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