On September 2, 2023, the Narendra Modi government established a High-Level Committee to examine the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections in India. The committee was chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. After gathering suggestions, viewpoints, and comments from various stakeholders, including political parties, the committee submitted its report on March 14, 2024. The purpose of the government is to hold Parliamentary and Assembly elections in one go.
Now, the reports claim that the NDA government may table the bill either in the ongoing winter session or in the budget session next year. Congress has already opposed the bill and the INDIA bloc parties are likely to remain united in opposing the legislation.
Reports suggest that the government aims to build consensus on the proposed bill and may refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for thorough deliberation. The JPC is expected to engage in discussions with representatives from all political parties. Additionally, it is reported that Speakers of state assemblies, along with intellectuals from various parts of the country, may also be invited to contribute to the discussions.
According to the rule, the NDA government will require a two-thirds majority in Parliament to get the bill passed and a simple majority in 50% of the state assemblies. While the BJP-led NDA has a simple majority in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, getting a two-thirds majority is a tough task. In the Lok Sabha, a two-thirds majority mark is 363 out of the total 543 MPs and in the Rajya Sabha, the two-thirds majority is 164 out of the total 245 MPs. In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has 292 seats while the INDIA bloc has 234 MPs. Likewise, in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA has 112 MPs and the opposition INDIA bloc has 85.
While the NDA would need a 2/3rd majority to get the bill passed, there is one catch that the BJP may look to turn in its favour. The 2/3rd rule simply means – 2/3rd of MPs present in the House on the day of voting. For example, in the Lok Sabha, if only 400 out of 543 members are present during voting, the required special majority would be 268 (calculated as two-thirds of 400 plus one). The same goes for the Rajya Sabha as well. If some opposition parties stage a walkout during the discussion and voting, the 2/3rd majority mark will come down as per the House of the strength.
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