Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, has urged all democratic forces in the country to unite against the ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) Bill being pushed by the BJP-led Union government.
CM Stalin alleged that the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is advancing this proposal to divert attention from its failure to address critical issues.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, CM Stalin wrote, “All the democratic forces must unite and fight tooth and nail against this abomination imposed in the garb of electoral reform, to save India, its diversity, and the Constitution.”
He asserted that the INDIA bloc (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) will resist the “anti-federal and impractical” ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, as it could lead the country towards a unitary form of governance, jeopardising its diversity and democracy.
CM Stalin further claimed that the Union government’s push for ‘One Nation, One Election’ reflects an ulterior motive of introducing a presidential form of governance, which he said goes against the spirit of India’s Constitution.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister cautioned that the proposed Bill, if passed and implemented, would eliminate the legal checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution.
These periodic elections, he emphasised, were designed by the framers of the Constitution to safeguard the nation against anarchy and totalitarianism.
“State elections would lose their political significance, and regional sentiments and diversity would be destroyed,” CM Stalin warned.
He also remarked that the BJP lacks the required majority to pass such a critical piece of legislation but is making a “brazen attempt” to divert attention from its governance failures.
It may be recalled that CM Stalin had earlier moved a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in February 2024 opposing the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal.
At that time, he had stated, “The Legislative Assembly urges the Union Government not to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy, as it goes against the principles of democracy, is impractical, and is not enshrined in the Constitution of India.”
During the debate on the resolution, BJP MLA Vanathi Sreenivasan from Coimbatore defended the proposal, arguing, “India is the largest democratic country, and a committee has been formed to discuss the idea of ‘One Nation, One Election.’ Every party can voice its opinions in the committee. Polls are held every year in some state or the other, and ‘One Nation, One Election’ can serve as a remedy to this. Even former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi mentioned the need for ‘One Nation, One Election’ in his book ‘Nenjukku Neethi’”.
The Union Cabinet recently approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, which is now set to be introduced in Parliament.
The government plans to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny.
Earlier this year, a high-level panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report on the feasibility of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal.
(IANS)
