‘One nation, one election’ anti-Constitution and autocratic: Bengal CM
In a strongly-worded letter on Thursday to Dr Niten Chandra, the secretary of a high-level committee led by the former president Ram Nath Kovind to examine the concept of ‘one nation, one election’, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounced the contentious concept, describing it as a plan to undermine the fundamental framework of the Constitution and establish a structure that enables autocracy disguised as democracy to infiltrate the national public sphere.
She firmly stated, “I am against autocracy and, hence, am against your design.”
She had difficulties with the basic concept as well as the “methodological approach” taken by the committee, she said.
She stated that though for the first two decades or so since 1952, general and state elections were held simultaneously, the cycle has broken for many years now and therefore, “[s]tates which are not expecting elections should not be forced to hold (them) for the sake of introduction of coevality only”.
From 1952 to 1967, four times elections were held simultaneously but the system got scrapped after some state assemblies were dissolved prematurely in 1968/69 as also the Lok Sabha in 1970.
She stated that the concept is “against the spirit of a truly democratic and federal (nation)”.
She concluded the letter with these words: “Under the circumstances, I cannot agree with the ‘one nation, one election’ concept, as framed by you. We disagree with your formulation and proposal.”
