Stop ONOP consultations, else face legal action: DMK
The ruling DMK on Wednesday termed as illegal the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to examine the possibility of conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.
The committee should immediately stop seeking views on the One Nation One Election idea, failing which the party will be forced to take appropriate legal recourse, the DMK warned while responding to the panel’s letter dated January 1, 2024.
Stating that the DMK had already registered its strong opposition to the BJP government’s proposal, the party, in its letter, said, “After this, there was no communication from the Law Commission for a direct hearing… Besides, the follow-up action on this subject was also not conveyed.”
Amending the Constitution to hold simultaneous elections to the various democratic setups would snatch away the rights given to the states.
“This is a dangerous idea which will have a serious impact on centre-state relations. Besides, it would also have an impact on the union government. The high-level committee should not intend to satisfy the BJP government which is power-hungry. The committee should not support the attempts of a party which has a majority in Parliament to destabilise or modify the Constitution which ensures equal opportunity to all,” the DMK added.