‘ONOE’ Bills introduced in LS amid Oppn outcry; 269 MPs vote in favour, 198 against

Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha held a division vote on Tuesday to introduce two Bills aimed at amending the Constitution to permit simultaneous central and state elections, as the ruling BJP advanced its ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative. The Opposition decried the move as “anti-constitutional,” while Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal asserted that the legislation would not undermine the powers held by the states.

Amid Opposition protests, Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested in a Union Cabinet meeting that the Bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for broader deliberations.

The government is expected to move a resolution on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha to refer the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

The two Bills were introduced with a simple majority, as required by the rules; 269 MPs voted in favour, while 198 voted against. However, the Opposition used the margin to argue that the government lacked sufficient support to pass the Bills.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 11 a.m. on Wednesday after the introduction of the ‘One Nation, One Election Bill.’

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Bill, which also seeks to align the elections of union territories such as Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and the NCT of Delhi. The Bill was approved by the Cabinet last week. Congress MP Manickam Tagore pointed out on X that a two-thirds majority (307 votes) out of the total 461 was needed, but the government secured only 269 votes, while the Opposition garnered 198. “The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal failed to gain two-thirds support,” he said, sharing a screenshot of the e-voting system.

As per the rules, these amendments to the Constitution require the support of two-thirds of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha. The Congress highlighted that 461 members participated in the vote to introduce the Constitutional Amendment Bill.

Following the introduction, Opposition leaders launched sharp criticisms. Congress’ Manish Tewari, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, and TR Baalu of Tamil Nadu’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led the charge.

Other parties, including the Shiv Sena faction led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, as well as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian Union Muslim League, also opposed the Bill.

Opposition leaders argued that the proposal for simultaneous elections undermines the basic structure of the Constitution and should be withdrawn immediately.

The proposal for holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections is part of the BJP’s 2024 election manifesto and has received full backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, it has faced strong resistance from numerous political parties and activists, who argue that it would diminish democratic accountability. The proposal is likely to be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

The Congress issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs, requiring their presence for the introduction of the constitutional amendment Bill for simultaneous elections.

Historically, simultaneous elections were held until the 1960s, when separate elections began due to two main reasons: the creation of new states such as Tripura and Nagaland and the fall of state governments, leading to separate assembly elections.

India’s first two elections, in 1951-1952 and 1957, were examples of the “One Nation, One Election” system.

The BJP is pushing to return to this system after nearly five decades. A high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, recommended amending the Constitution and election laws to enable simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, all state assemblies, and local bodies, starting in 2029.

The Congress has criticised the government’s move for simultaneous elections.

Currently, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has 293 MPs, while the Opposition Congress-led INDIA alliance has 234 MPs. The BJP will need support from non-aligned parties to pass the Bills to amend the Constitution.

In response to the criticism, Meghwal defended the Bill, stating that the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal is a long-overdue electoral reform and would not harm the Constitution.

“Laws can be brought in for electoral reforms... this Bill aligns with the process of streamlining the electoral system. It will not damage the Constitution or alter its basic structure,” he said.