NEW DELHI – Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress, has expressed strong opposition to the proposal of one nation-one election and questioned the concept of one-nation itself. Banerjee accused the high-level committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, of conveying a unilateral decision by the central government to impose a structure that goes against the democratic and federal spirit of the Indian Constitution.
In a letter to the secretary of the panel, Banerjee urged the committee not to selectively cherry-pick reports and reforms proposals to justify their proposal. She emphasized the need to thoroughly analyze the rationale and not rely on distorted excerpts from reports that favor a biased view.
Shortly after sending the letter, Banerjee requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to objectively examine the matter. Meanwhile, she raised several points in her letter opposing the one nation, one election concept.
Firstly, Banerjee questioned the basis for the concept of one nation, one election and its constitutional and structural implications. She pointed out that the Indian Constitution follows a federal framework, with separate Union and State Governments. Therefore, the exact meaning of one nation in this context remains unclear.
Additionally, Banerjee argued that states should not be forced to hold premature elections solely for the purpose of implementing simultaneous elections. She emphasized that prematurely conducting elections would betray the trust of the people who elected their representatives for a full five-year term. Moreover, extending the tenure of a legislative assembly beyond five years would also be undemocratic.
Banerjee criticized the committee for treating proposed amendments to the constitution as a mere formality and disregarding the perspectives of state governments. She objected to the unrepresentative composition of the committee, which does not include any chief ministers. She expressed doubts about the committee’s genuine interest in analyzing the disadvantages of simultaneous all-India polls.
The West Bengal chief minister also highlighted the substantial differences between parliamentary elections and state legislative elections. She emphasized that the constitution entrusts certain subjects to be dealt with by the states, which would be neglected if attention is diverted to the national-level issues during simultaneous elections.
Banerjee stressed that the fundamental issue at hand is not the advantages of simultaneous elections, but rather how to arrange them in the current circumstances while respecting the basic structure of the constitution. She argued against imposing an unviable scheme from above and emphasized the importance of plurality.
As the contentious debate continues, Mamata Banerjee urges a comprehensive examination of the concept and its implications. The fate of one nation, one election in India remains uncertain, as various stakeholders grapple with the complex challenges and implications involved in implementing such a major electoral reform.
