CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted resolutions, moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin, opposing the One Nation One Poll policy of the BJP-led union government and delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies after 2026 based on states’ population.
Both resolutions were adopted by voice vote with the DMK’s allies in the House — Congress, CPM, CPI, VCK, KMDK, TVK, MMK and MDMK — backing them. PMK MLAs were absent. The principal Opposition party, the AIADMK, which has so far supported the ONOP policy, revealed it had put forth 10 conditions to be fulfilled before the plan could be implemented in its January 13 submission to the panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
The party supported the resolution against delimitation. The BJP said it concurred with the concerns about delimitation but the resolution on ONOP is unnecessary at this stage. “This August House urges the union government that the delimitation process to be carried out after 2026 based on the census should not be carried out.
Due to unavoidable reasons, if the number of seats based on the population were to increase, it shall be maintained at the present ratio of the constituencies between the states in the State Assemblies and both Houses of Parliament fixed based on the population in 1971,” the resolution said.
Move will destroy basic tenets of democracy, says Stalin
The resolution added that states like TN should not be penalised for implementing various socio-economic development programmes and welfare schemes for the benefit of the people over the past 50 years.
The second resolution moved by the CM said, “This August House urges the union government not to implement the One Nation, One Election policy as this is against the basis of democracy; impractical; not enshrined in the Constitution of India. Elections to local bodies, State Assemblies and Parliament are being held at different times based on people-centric issues in a vast and diverse country like India and it is against the idea of democratic decentralisation.”
Moving the resolutions, the CM said the ONOP idea stems from autocratic thought and must be stoutly opposed. He charged that, in the guise of delimitation, there is a conspiracy to reduce the number of people’s representatives from TN.
“All states should be treated equally. If the number of Lok Sabha seats for states is fixed based on population, it will be tantamount to ignoring the geographical, linguistic, economic and political backgrounds of the states concerned. Ultimately, such a move will destroy the basic tenets of democracy. We should urge the union government to give up the plan of delimitation after 2026 based on the population of the states. If at all the number of LS and Assembly constituencies is to be increased, it should be done based on the 1971 census,” the CM said, urging the members to adopt the resolutions unanimously.
“It is frightening to think about the after-effects of delimitation. Now, TN has 39 Lok Sabha seats but still we are begging the union government for our rights. If the number of LS seats falls, TN will lose its power to make demands of the union government. The state will lose its rights and, eventually, TN will lag,” CM Stalin warned.
Stalin said the ONOP policy is against the basic structure of the constitution and would pave the way for dissolution of elected Assemblies ahead of their terms. “Will they conduct elections to all State Assemblies if the union government falls? Or if a few state governments fall, will those in power at the union government step down on their own? Is it possible to conduct elections simultaneously to local bodies too? Is there a policy more laughable than this? Conducting simultaneous elections to local bodies is snatching away the rights of the states since these elections are under the jurisdiction of the states,” he said.
“No one should fall prey to the selfish motives of those who enjoy a majority in Parliament now and are trying to destabilise the constitution, which ensures the rights of the states, federalism, and equal opportunities for all,” the CM said.