West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to the high-level committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ saying ‘I regret I cannot agree with the concept’. The high-level committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
Stating that simultaneous polls at the Lok Sabha and assemblies seem impractical, she said that in 1952, the first general elections were simultaneously conducted for the central and state levels.
“There was such simultaneity for some years. But the coevality has since been ruptured…,” she said.
“I regret that I cannot agree with the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election‘, as framed by you. We disagree with your formulation and proposal,” she wrote.
Dont understand the meaning of ‘One Nation’…
Questing the meaning of ‘One Nation’ in the context, Banerjee said, “While I understand the meaning of one nation in a historical-political-cultural sense, I do not understand the exact constitutional and structural implication of the term in the instant case. Does the Indian Constitution follow the concept of ‘One Nation, One Government’? I am afraid, it does not.”
West Bengal CM said that states that are not expecting polls should not be forced to go for “premature elections.”
“The central or a state government may not complete their term for various reasons, for example a coalition breaking to a vote of no-confidence,” she said, adding that during the last 50 years, Lok Sabha has witnessed several premature dissolutions.
She said fresh elections are the only option in such a situation.
“Non-simultaneous federal and state elections are a basic feature in the Westminster system which should not be altered. To paraphrase, non-simultaneity is part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitutional arrangements,” the West Bengal chief minister said.
The high-level committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, has convened twice since its formation in September of the previous year. Seeking public input, the committee has also written to political parties, inviting their opinions and proposing a dialogue on a “mutually agreed date” to discuss the concept of simultaneous elections.
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Published: 11 Jan 2024, 05:06 PM IST