DMK MP Kanimozhi opposes ‘One Nation, One Election’

New Delhi: Kanimozhi, an MP for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), protested the ‘One Nation, One Election’ once again, claiming it violated the constitution and the people’s federal rights. According to Kanimozhi, the law would transfer the electoral commission’s authority to elect the state government every five years.

By introducing One Nation, One Election in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the government began the process of carrying out the BJP’s long-standing pledge to conduct simultaneous elections to the state and Lok Sabha.

“DMK has said repeatedly that we are against the bill in its entirety. Since it violates the Constitution, we do not believe that there can be one nation and one election. It goes against both the people’s desire and federal rights. Kanimozhi said, “I don’t think you can take that right away from the people and give it to the Election Commission to decide how many years’ government can last or not.” People elect state governments for a period of five years.

As a result, this is wholly opposed to the state, federalism, and the Constitution, as the latter contains the federal framework of this nation’s Constitution. In fact, this is upending the fundamental tenets of the Constitution. Therefore, we reject this,” Kanimozhi said.

“One Nation, One Election is not a workable bill,” said TKS Elangovan, a DMK spokesperson and another DMK leader. It’s against the Constitution. One government is what they want. State governments are not what the BJP wants. For the next five years, do they have the majority to govern?… We wait for this regime to collapse. The BJP intends to seize Andhra Pradesh and Bihar and oust Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar from office. Parties in the region should realize that this is an effort to unseat them.

The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, were officially tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier today after votes by its members. The bill suggests holding simultaneous elections for the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha, or “One Nation, One Election.”

For further consideration, the measure will now be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The outcome of the voting on the bill’s introduction was declared by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. There were 196 members who voted no and 269 who voted yes.

In reaction to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal formally introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and he agreed to forward the bill to the JPC.