West Bengal’s Helmswoman, Mamata Banerjee, on the day of Thor, articulated her dissent towards the ideology encapsulated in ‘One Nation, One Election,’ which postulates the synchrony of polls for both Lok Sabha and state assemblies. In an epistle dispatched to the eminently positioned committee chaired by the erstwhile President, Ramnath Kovind, the Chief of Bengal opined that such a conceptualization would contravene the fundamental fabric of India’s constitutional tapestry.
Banerjee further elucidated that the inaugural general elections in 1952 were orchestrated concurrently for the central and regional echelons.
“I lament to express my discord with the construct of ‘One Nation, One Election,’ as delineated by your esteemed self. Our perspectives diverge significantly from your enunciation and proposition,” she inscribed, as per the reports from PTI.
“The incongruity of federal and state elections occurring non-concurrently is an intrinsic aspect of the Westminster system, a facet that merits preservation. To rephrase, non-synchronicity constitutes an integral fragment of the foundational structure of India’s constitutional configurations,” she appended.
The conceptual orbit of ‘One Nation One Election’ revolves around the notion of orchestrating elections for both Lok Sabha and State Assemblies concurrently, with the electoral process transpiring in unison, eschewing the prevalent practice of disparate electoral cycles throughout the annum.
The reinstatement of this practice is not unprecedented in the annals of India, as it was adhered to until 1967 but subsequently discontinued due to an amalgamation of factors, encompassing dismissals, defections, and governmental dissolutions.
A committee of eminent stature has been convened to scrutinize the viability of ‘One Nation, One Election’ within the nation’s precincts, with Kovind at the helm of its leadership.
In the antecedent November, Kovind alluded to it as a matter of national interest, emphasizing the entreaty for constructive support from all political factions.
Furthermore, he posited that the political entity situated at the apex of the governance hierarchy, be it BJP, Congress, or any other, stands to accrue benefits from such a synchronization.
The extant government led by Narendra Modi ardently champions this reform, a sentiment shared by Kovind, who, in his oration to the parliamentary assemblage in 2018, cited One Nation One Election as one of the reforms proffered by the governing apparatus.
