Tamil Nadu, 6 February (H.S.): Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin has strongly criticized the Indian government's proposal for a one nation-one election system, calling it an assault on federalism and constitutionally indefensible.

Stalin argued that the proposal undermines the Constitution's federalist principles, particularly Article 174, which could force states to delay elections if their governments fail mid-term ¹. He also expressed concerns about the proposed Lok Sabha seat delimitation, which he believes would unfairly disadvantage southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Furthermore, Stalin disapproved of the University Grants Commission's draft guidelines, emphasizing the risks of centralizing educational authority in Delhi ¹.

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi also shared his concerns about the proposal, highlighting its potential drawbacks. Quraishi noted that the idea of simultaneous elections had been discussed for many years, but the addition of the word nation arouses patriotism and masks the proposal's true intentions ¹.

Quraishi argued that the proposal could lead to increased corruption, communalism, and polarization, ultimately undermining the country's democratic principles

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary