Tue Dec 17 12:39:11 UTC 2024: ## One Nation, One Election Bill Faces Hurdle in Lok Sabha

**New Delhi, December 17, 2024** – The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a contentious vote on two bills aimed at amending the Constitution to enable simultaneous federal and state elections, a key initiative of the ruling BJP’s “One Nation, One Election” (ONOP) campaign. While the bills were introduced via a simple majority vote (269 in favor, 198 against), the outcome sparked immediate controversy.

The opposition highlighted the shortfall in securing the necessary two-thirds majority (307 votes out of 461) required to pass constitutional amendments. Congress MP Manickam Tagore pointed out this lack of support on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the bill’s failure to achieve the required threshold. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor echoed this sentiment, stating that while the BJP has a numerical advantage in the Lok Sabha, the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments is clearly lacking.

This shortcoming prompted the opposition to claim the government lacks the necessary backing for the ONOP proposal. While the BJP-led NDA currently holds 293 seats, even with full attendance, it falls short of the required votes. The party would need support from non-aligned parties, including the YSR Congress and Akali Dal, who have pledged support, but still require additional votes.

The opposition, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), NCP, CPI(M), and IUML, strongly criticized the ONOP bill, arguing it undermines India’s federal structure and potentially leads to a more authoritarian regime. Concerns were also raised regarding the substantial financial implications, with the Election Commission estimating a cost of ₹10,000 crore for new EVMs every 15 years if simultaneous elections were implemented.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal defended the bill, asserting it would streamline the electoral process without compromising the Constitution’s basic structure. He also stated that the bill would be sent to a joint parliamentary committee, where the BJP, due to its larger number of MPs, will hold a majority.

The BJP intends to send notices to over 20 of its own MPs who were absent during the vote, having issued a three-line whip requiring their attendance. The future of the “One Nation, One Election” proposal now hinges on securing the necessary support in the coming stages of the legislative process.

Read More