Fri May 16 10:56:32 UTC 2025: ## Summary:

BJP leader K. Annamalai defended President Murmu’s decision to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion on the assent of bills passed by state legislatures, citing Article 143(1) of the Constitution. He stated this right has been exercised 14 times previously. He also alluded to a past incident regarding the Cauvery River water dispute where a President sought the Supreme Court’s opinion, ultimately ruling in favour of Tamil Nadu. Annamalai also affirmed that O. Panneerselvam remains part of the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu.

## News Article:

**President’s Right to Seek SC Opinion on State Bills Affirmed by BJP Leader Annamalai**

**Tiruvannamalai, May 16, 2025** – K. Annamalai, a prominent BJP leader and former president of the party’s Tamil Nadu unit, has publicly supported President Droupadi Murmu’s move to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion on the assent of bills passed by state legislatures. Speaking to the media in Tiruvannamalai today, Annamalai emphasized that the President’s actions are constitutionally sound, referencing Article 143(1).

“The President is well within her rights to seek clarification from the Supreme Court,” Annamalai stated, noting that this is the 15th instance of a President seeking such counsel since the Constitution’s inception in 1950. He further cited a Supreme Court ruling suggesting Presidents should also have fixed deadlines for assenting to state bills, adding that this context necessitates the current request for clarification.

Annamalai also drew parallels to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT) 1991 directive, when Karnataka opposed releasing water to Tamil Nadu. “When then-President R. Venkataraman sought the Supreme Court’s opinion, the court ruled in favour of Tamil Nadu,” Annamalai explained, urging Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to consider this historical precedent.

Addressing questions regarding the status of O. Panneerselvam (OPS) within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Annamalai affirmed that OPS remains an integral part of the alliance in Tamil Nadu. “OPS is always with us [NDA]. No political party has left the alliance,” he stated, downplaying the fact that OPS was not invited to a recent event with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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