The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and ‘the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were formally introduced on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha after members voted on it.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal formally introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, on ‘One Nation, One Election’ and his agreement to send the bill to a JPC in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement. The bill proposes ‘One Nation, One Election,’ or simultaneous elections to both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Following the introduction in the Lower House, the bill has been sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussions and deliberations.
On Tuesday, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla announced the result of the vote on the introduction of the bill in the house. The vote showed 269 members in favour (Ayes) and 196 against (Noes).
In September, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, following the recommendations of the Ram Nath Kovind-led high-level panel.
Following approval from the Union Cabinet, the proposal received support from the NDA allies and some opposition parties, but a total of 15 opposition parties, including Congress, had rejected the proposal. The Central Government needs to secure a majority in both Houses of Parliament—the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha—to turn the proposal into law.
The BJP and its allies have a total strength of 293 MPs in Lok Sabha. The BJP needs a two-thirds majority—364 MPs—to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha. With the support of the Samajwadi Party, the NDA will have 330 MPs in favor, and it will then need 34 more to get the bill passed.
The proposal needs to be passed by both Houses of Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha as well, the NDA needs a two-thirds majority to get the bill passed. Out of the 245 seats in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA holds 112, while the opposition parties control 85.
To secure a two-thirds majority, the government will need a minimum of 164 votes. With the support of an independent and six nominated MPs, the NDA has a total of 120 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, not enough to get the bill passed.
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative is a bold step toward streamlining India’s election process, aiming to reduce costs and bring uniformity to governance. However, political opposition and the need for state-level ratification pose significant challenges that the ruling coalition will need to navigate in the coming months.
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