Do not agree with concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’: Mamata Banerjee to Kovind-led panel

In a letter to the panel secretary, Banerjee said that in 1952, the first general elections were simultaneously conducted for the central and state levels.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to the high-level committee on “One Nation, One Election” expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and assemblies, and said it would be against the basic structure of India’s constitutional arrangements.

In a letter to the panel secretary, Banerjee said that in 1952, the first general elections were simultaneously conducted for the central and state levels.

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“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.
She said there are basic conceptual difficulties in agreeing with the committee, and the concept is not clear.

The West Bengal chief minister questioned the meaning of ‘One Nation’ in the context, and 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.” She said unless the “basic enigma” of where the concept came from is solved, it is difficult to arrive at any firm view on the catchy phrase.

She said that states which are not expecting general elections to the assembly should not be forced to go for “premature general elections for the sake of introduction of coevality only: that will be basic violation of the electoral trust of the people who have elected their Vidhan Sabha representatives for full five years.” “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 headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind had written to political parties seeking their opinion on the matter.

The committee has held two meetings since it was constituted in September last year. It has sought views from public on the issue and has also written to political parties seeking their views and an interaction on a “mutually agreed date” on the idea of simultaneous polls.