Annamalai criticises TN Assembly resolutions on ONOP & Delimitation

The Tamil Nadu Assembly s adoption of two resolutions, opposing One Nation and One Election and urging the Centre not to conduct delimitation of constituencies after 2026, has sparked criticism from K. Annamalai, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Annamalai questioned the timing of the resolutions, emphasizing that the need for One Nation and One Election is not in question, but rather a matter of timing. He cited historical context, noting that India experienced a single election from 1952 to 1967. However, during Congress rule, Article 356 of the Constitution was invoked frequently, leading to multiple elections within a year. He highlighted the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi s support for the concept of one nation, one election, as outlined in his book Nenjukku Needhi Part II. Annamalai argued that frequent elections paralyzed government machinery, making a case for streamlining the electoral process. Regarding the resolution opposing delimitation of constituencies based on census data, Annamalai recalled the freeze on constituency numbers imposed by Parliament in 1976 and 2001, with a total of 543 seats. He asserted that delimitation is essential for implementing the 33% reservation for women and clarified that population-based delimitation is not the sole criterion. Annamalai also addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi s proposed modalities for One Nation and One Election, urging states to cooperate rather than oppose the initiative. However, he expressed skepticism about the implementation timeline, suggesting that the chances of it happening in 2024 are minimal due to procedural complexities.