CPM opposes simultaneous elections

Opposing simultaneous polls, the CPM on Wednesday told the Law Commission that the proposal is "inherently anti-democratic" and "negates" the principle of federalism.

Responding to the commission's letter seeking CPM's opinion, party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote, "India is a vast country with myriad diversities and only a federal set-up can sustain political democracy. Having elections in states at different times is one aspect of the federal system.

"The CPM is, therefore, totally opposed to any artificial attempt to bring about simultaneous elections which can only be done by trampling upon the existing Constitutional scheme of parliamentary democracy."

He declined an invitation for a personal interaction with the commission, saying the party note is "self-explanatory".

The letter said holding simultaneous polls would require "tampering with the Constitutional scheme of accountability of the government to the legislature". It said there is "no fixity of tenure" enshrined in the Constitution and a mid-term election has to be held if no alternative government can be formed in case of the fall of an incumbent government.

"Any attempt to prolong the life of the Lok Sabha, or, legislature will be not only unconstitutional but anti-democratic. It is the will of the people through their elected representatives that must prevail," it said.

Rubbishing the Niti Aayog suggestion that the President should be allowed to carry out the administration of the country if dissolution of the Lok Sabha cannot be avoided and till the next House is constituted, the CPM said it was "bringing an executive Presidency through the back door" while describing the proposal as "outrageous". A similar suggestion for Assemblies has also been rejected by the CPM.

It also found no logic in another suggestion that if a House is dissolved and the remaining period is long, then fresh elections would be held only for the rest of the remaining period. "So, actually, there will be more frequent Lok Sabha elections, which defeats the purpose, for which simultaneous elections are being advocated," it said.

On the proposal mooted in Draft Working Paper of the Commission that a no-confidence motion should be accompanied by a motion to elect a new leader of the House, it said, "this means that the right of the legislators to vote out a government is circumscribed and conditional to their electing a new government.

"The right of elected legislators and members of the Lok Sabha to vote out any government cannot be circumscribed, nor can the right of a ruling party which has a stable majority in the House to recommend dissolution of the House and hold early elections be also curtailed.