Akhilesh Yadav supports PM Modi's 'one nation one election' policy; demands UP polls in 2019

Days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of 'one nation one election', Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday also stepped into his shoes.

Grabbing the opportunity, the former UP chief minister welcomed Yogi government's 'one nation one election' policy and demanded that UP should also go for polls during 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The SP leader was speaking at the party headquarters in Lucknow and also claimed that the voter list should be linked to Aadhar in order to "ensure fair and free polls".

"It seems that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made preparations to extend its regime. They have not thought about how regional parties will contest elections in such a short span of time," Yadav said while addressing party workers in Lucknow.

We are ready for one nation one election. 2019 se tayiaari kariye hum bhi aapke saath hain is mudde par: Akhilesh Yadav,SP on Yogi Govt backs PM Modi's 'one nation one election' proposal pic.twitter.com/tnhh4DockP

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 6, 2018

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"Big parties can fight elections with the help of management, but what about regional and small parties? However, if simultaneous polls are conducted soon, we are ready for that," Yadav added.

Earlier on Tuesday, cabinet minister Sidharth Nath Singh submitted a report to Yogi Adityanath and sought implementation of simultaneous polls in India in two phases.

Replying to Singh's report Adityanath said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a campaign for all elections to be held at the same time so that we don't spend five years on elections. Elections to state governments, Lok Sabha and bypolls at different times hamper development due to the implementation of the model code of conduct".

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"Only one voters’ list should be prepared. We constituted a team in Uttar Pradesh under the health ministry in this regard and asked them to see if it’s possible to hold only one election and link voters’ list to Aadhaar so that new voters are automatically added to the list when they turn 18," Adityanath added.