Parliament on Tuesday held a split vote to introduce two bills that seek to amend the constitution and allow simultaneous federal and state voting, as part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s “one nation, one election” drive.
These bills were formally introduced into Congress by a simple majority vote as required by the regulations. 269 members voted in favor and 198 opposed. However, this disparity has been pointed out by critics of the “one country, one election” bill, who say it shows the government lacks support for passing the bill at this stage.
“A two-thirds majority (or 307 votes) was needed out of a total of 461 votes… However, the government secured only 269 votes and the opposition secured 198 votes. , one election’ proposal did not receive 2 votes. 1/3 support,” Congressman Manickam Tagore said in X with a screenshot of the electronic voting system.
A two-thirds (307) majority was needed out of a total of 461 votes cast, but the government secured only 263 votes, while the opposition received 198 votes. The “one country, one election” proposal failed to gain two-thirds support. pic.twitter.com/5GIQQ0qY7r
— Manickam Tagore .B
மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) December 17, 2024
Mr Tagore’s colleague Shashi Tharoor also pointed out that there was a clear discrepancy in the numbers.
“There is no doubt that the government has more allies… but to pass (the Constitutional Amendment Bill) you need a two-thirds majority, which the government clearly does not have,” the House of Commons said. After the meeting concluded, he spoke to reporters. , “It’s clear they shouldn’t hang on to this too long…”
#View | On the One Country, One Election Bill, MP Shashi Tharoor said, “…without a doubt, the government has more numbers on their side than we do. But in the JPC, they have a majority when it comes to the composition of the JPC. It may be in your hands, but please pass it as a constitutional amendment… pic.twitter.com/8e56JJNNCP
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024
According to the rules, these constitutional amendments require the support of two-thirds of MPs, who must vote for resolutions to pass. Taking today as an example, the parliament pointed out that 461 members participated in the vote to submit a constitutional amendment bill.
For this to be a vote for the bill to pass, 307 out of 461 people would have to vote in favor, but only 269 people voted in favor, and parliament said, “This bill has no support… have voiced their opposition.”
Congressional jubilation, though premature, contains a kernel of truth.
“One Country, One Election” Number Game
As of today, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has 293 members in its camp, while the opposition Congress-led India has 234 members. As Congress leaders have said, the NDA’s score is not good enough for passage despite its best efforts. A bill to amend the Constitution.
NDTV explains | The numbers behind “one country, one poll” and can the bill be passed?
Therefore, assuming an equal number of MPs are present and vote to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill, the BJP will need support from non-aligned parties. In that case, there are only two possibilities – YSR Congress with four MPs and Akali Dal with one MP. Both pledged support.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi therefore needs at least nine more votes for his dream of “one nation, one election” to go beyond Sabah, and it is not impossible to muster them for the Bharatiya Janata Party. .
If the Congress party does its best, the BJP will need 64 more votes.
For now, the bill is likely to go to a joint committee formed based on each party’s parliamentary numbers. This means the BJP will have the largest membership and lead the committee.
Read | BJP sends notices to MPs who were absent from voting on ‘One Nation One Poll’ bill
Meanwhile, sources told NDTV that the BJP plans to send notices of the bill to over 20 MPs who were not present during the polls. The party had issued a three-line whip to attend.
Parliament and opposition parties condemn ONOP
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal this afternoon. Immediately after the introduction, the opponent’s fierce attacks continued.
Congress’s Manish Tewari, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress’s Kalyan Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s TR Bahl led the charge.
Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress group also spoke out, as did the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a number of smaller parties, including the Indian Union Muslim League. Opposition.
Read | “Do not tamper with national power”: Minister of Justice’s “ONOP”
The common point among critics of the “one country, one opinion” or ONOP bill was that the simultaneous election plan subverted the basic structure of the Constitution and must be immediately withdrawn. Meanwhile, Yadav warned the House that “this is a path to dictatorship.”
Earlier, Trinamool boss and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a “plan to subvert the basic structure of the Constitution” and slammed the “anti-federal” movement, saying it would “undermine democracy and the federal structure of India”. “Authoritarian imposition aimed at forcing people to become
Read | ‘Save democracy’: Mamata Banerjee, opposition parties condemn ‘one nation, one vote’
Baal pointed to the expenses associated with mass voting, including that the Election Commission has to spend Rs 10,000 crore on a new EVM (electronic voting machine) every 15 years. “The government should send this bill to the JPC (Joint Committee of Parliament),” he said.
Read | 10,000 rupees every 15 years – the cost of “one country, one poll”
‘Unwavering support’ from BJP allies
Two of the BJP’s allies, the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and the Sena faction of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra, have established support for the bill.
“We have seen in Andhra Pradesh that when simultaneous elections are held, the process and governance becomes clearer. That is our experience and we want that to happen across the country,” said the TDP. Rav Sri Krishna Devarayar said: “Unwavering support.”
BJP responds
After an avalanche of criticism, Meghwal stood up and hit back, saying the “one nation, one election” proposal was a long-overdue electoral reform and would not undermine the constitution. insisted.
“It is possible to introduce legislation for election reform…This bill is linked to the process of relaxing the electoral process, and it will be synchronized.This bill will not damage the Constitution. “The basic constitution cannot be tampered with,” he said.
What is “one country, one election”?
Simply put, it means that all Indians vote in Lok Sabha and parliamentary elections in the same year, if not at the same time, in elections to elect central and state representatives.
As of 2024, only four states have held Lok Sabha elections, with Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha holding Lok Sabha elections from April to June. Voted at the same time. Three other states (Maharashtra, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir) voted in October-November.
NDTV Special | “One Country, One Election”: What is it and how does it work?
The rest follow an asynchronous 5-year cycle. For example, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana went to polls at different times last year, while Delhi and Bihar are scheduled to go to polls in 2025, while Tamil Nadu and Bengal are scheduled to go to polls in 2026. It is scheduled to be voted on in 2020.
Does “one country, one election” work?
Amendments to the constitution are needed, and those amendments need to be approved by all state and union territory governments, and possibly by major political parties.
NDTV explains | “One country, one election”. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
These are Article 83 (Term of Parliament), Article 85 (Dissolution of Lok Sabha by President), Article 172 (Duration of State Legislature), and Article 174 (Dissolution of State Legislature); Article 356 (imposition of executive duties on the president). rule).
Legal experts have warned that if these amendments are not passed, the bill could be attacked on charges of violating India’s federal structure.
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