Tue Dec 17 15:32:50 UTC 2024: ## One Nation, One Election Bill Faces Steep Climb in Indian Parliament
NEW DELHI – The ambitious “One Nation, One Election” bill, a key initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term, has cleared its first hurdle by passing the Lok Sabha. However, its journey to becoming law faces significant challenges due to the BJP’s lack of the necessary two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament.
The bill, officially titled the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, requires a supermajority – 362 out of 543 members in the Lok Sabha and 162 out of 245 in the Rajya Sabha – for passage. The BJP, along with its NDA allies, falls significantly short of this threshold in both houses. While the BJP holds 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, even with NDA allies, they are still far short of the required number. Similarly, in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA’s combined strength is insufficient.
Although the bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberation, the BJP’s prospects of securing the needed support from opposition parties remain uncertain. The JPC process might offer an opportunity to garner more votes, but the party faces a steep uphill battle to achieve the required two-thirds majority. The bill’s future thus hinges on the BJP’s ability to successfully negotiate with opposition parties in the coming weeks.
First Piper 