During the ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ yatra in Villupuram on 27 januaray 2024, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party President K. Annamalai, spoke about various factors that affects Tamil Nadu and its people.
“In Tamil Nadu, there exists a dichotomy in politics – one for the people and another for the rulers. The children of rulers enjoy the privilege of studying three languages, whereas students in government schools are limited to two languages. Widespread corruption plagues the government, with 11 out of 35 ministers facing ongoing court cases.“, he said.
Annamalai pointed out the disproportionate production distribution, with Chennai, Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, and Kanchipuram districts accounting for 32 percent of domestic production capacity, while Villupuram lags at 2.6 percent. Discussing human development, he noted that Ariyalur ranks lowest, followed by Perambalur, Theni at third, and Villupuram at fourth with a mere 0.561 percent.
Calling for a complete overhaul of politics in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai criticized the DMK and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) for consistently criticizing the central government for any matter. He referenced resolutions passed against the central government in a conference held by these parties, highlighting the similarity with the BJP’s stance on “one country, one election,” as initially advocated by Karunanidhi in Nenjuku Neeti on page 273.
“In the book Nenjuku Neethi written by Karunanidhi on page 273, he is the first person in India to voice support for ‘One Nation, One Election’. Today BJP is saying the same”, he said.
He also confronted the criticism about Centre’s allocation of funds, citing the BJP’s efforts to increase state fund allocations, contrasting the figures during the Congress rule in 2004 (30.5 percent) and the subsequent increase under the Modi regime (42 percent). He discussed the allocation for Scheduled Tribes upliftment, pointing out that the state government returned a significant portion to the central government.
Addressing issues like the Vengaivyal incident, cruelty to Scheduled Caste individuals, and the double vase system, Annamalai accused the DMK of prioritizing opposition to the central government over these pressing matters. He criticized the DMK’s focus on succession politics, calling it a threat to democracy, and emphasized the need to save Tamil Nadu.
Finally, Annamalai commented on election promises made by the DMK, noting a significant shortfall in government job creation compared to their commitment.
One Nation One Election (ONOE)
The fundamental concept behind “One Nation, One Election” is to coordinate the scheduling of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections across all states, aiming to decrease the frequency of polls nationwide. This approach was a common practice until 1967 but experienced disruptions due to factors like defections, dismissals, and government dissolutions. The continuity of synchronized elections was initially broken in 1959 when the Centre utilized Article 356 to dismiss the government in Kerala.
Currently, certain states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha, conduct assembly polls concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections. The proposal for simultaneous elections was introduced in 1999 by the Law Commission, led by BP Jeevan Reddy.
Advantages of Implementing ONOE is Streamlined Governance, Consistency in Policy Decisions, Cost-Efficiency in Elections, Minimized Deployment of Security Forces, Prevention of Horse Trading, Reduction of Freebies and Improved State Finances.
Frequent elections contribute to political corruption, due to the substantial funds required for each election. Holding simultaneous elections can significantly reduce election expenses for political parties, eliminating the need for repetitive fundraising. During the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections alone, an estimated Rs 60,000 Crores were spent. Simultaneous elections would also lead to reduced expenses for the Election Commission (EC), provided initial infrastructure investments are made.
(Inputs with Hindu Tamil)
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