Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 16 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ram Kadam on Thursday backed the proposed One Nation, One Election Bill, saying it would give a major boost to India's economy and help the country become the world's third-largest economic superpower.

Speaking to ANI, Kadam said 'A major highlight is the projection that our GDP growth would increase by 1.5 per cent. If a single decision can yield such a significant boost, nothing can stop India from becoming the world's third-largest economic superpower,' he said.

Responding to speculation over a possible merger within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Kadam said it was an internal matter of the party and declined to comment on it.

'Whether Mr Sharad Pawar's faction and Sunetra Pawar's faction come together or remain separate is a decision for those parties to make. However, as a senior legislator serving his fourth term, I recall that during the Assembly session, many MLAs from both sides believed a date around February 12 had been set for the merger. This is an internal matter, so it would not be appropriate to comment on it. However, the ongoing speculation and discussions suggest that merger talks had already progressed significantly,' he said.

The JPC is expected to finalise and adopt its report at its meeting on July 17 before submitting it to Parliament for further consideration.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, is linked to the proposed reform popularly known as 'One Nation, One Election,' which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is also part of the broader framework aimed at facilitating the implementation of simultaneous elections across the country.

These Bills, introduced on December 17, 2024, in the Lok Sabha and sent to the JPC for further scrutiny, collectively aim to introduce simultaneous elections across the country. ( ANI)