Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday alleged the BJP-led Union government despite lacking a majority to pass the One Nation One Poll legislation, is making a brazen attempt to push the same with an ulterior motive of conducting a presidential form of government.

“#INDIA will resist the anti-federal & impractical ‘One nation one lection’ as it will push the country into the perils of unitary form of governance, killing its diversity and democracy in the process,” he wrote on his ‘X’ handle, slamming the Narendra Modi government.

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Stalin, also president of the ruling DMK which has state autonomy as one of its core principles, has been consistent in his opposition to the ONOP ever since the panel headed by former President Ram Nath Govind was constituted to study the issue. The party had passed several resolutions opposing this and many a time he had highlighted the dangers inherent in ONOP.

“The Union BJP government seeks to push it with an ulterior motive of conducting a presidential form of election, which is against the spirit of our Constitution. The proposed bill, if passed and implemented, will remove the legal checks and balances put in place in the form of periodic elections by the framers of our great Constitution to prevent the country from slipping into anarchy and totalitarianism. Also state elections would lose their significance and regional sentiments and diversity would be destroyed,” he said.

“The BJP lacks a majority to pass the critical legislation that threatens to alter India’s polity forever. Yet, a brazen attempt is being made to settle scores and deflect attention from the BJP’s failures to address core issues affecting the country’s progress,” Stalin further said, adding “All the democratic forces must unite & fight tooth and nail against this abomination imposed in the garb of electoral reform, to save India, its diversity and the Constitution.”

The allies of the DMK, the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigl Katchi (VCK) of Thol Thirumavalavan, the MDMK of Vaiko and the Left Parties are on the same page with the Dravidian major in their opposition to the ONOP.