One Nation One Election: The 129th Constitution (Amendment) Bill for one country, one election was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Electronic voting was first conducted for the bill. After objections from some MPs, voting was again done through slips to modify the vote. 269 ​​votes were cast in favour of introducing the bill and 198 against it. After this, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced it in the House. Amit Shah said in the House that when the bill came to the cabinet, Prime Minister Modi had said that it should be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The Law Minister can make such a proposal.
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SP MP Dharmendra Yadav said that the One Nation, One Election Bill is an attempt by the BJP to bring dictatorship in the country.
According to media reports, BJP will send notices to 20 absent MPs of the party while presenting the One Nation-One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha today. The party has issued a three-line whip to them to be present in the House.
Votes in favour increased after voting by slip
At 12:10, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the One Nation, One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha. Opposition MPs opposed the bill, after which Speaker Om Birla conducted electronic voting to introduce the bill. 369 members voted in it. 220 votes were cast in favor and 149 against. After this, opposition members raised objections.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that if they have any objection, give them a slip. On this, the Speaker said that we had already said that if any member feels so, he can modify his vote through the slip. After this, more MPs voted. 269 votes were cast in favor and 198 against. After this, the Law Minister presented the bill again at 1:15 pm.
The government introduced 2 bills in the House
The government introduced two bills related to ‘One Country, One Election’ in the Lok Sabha on 17 December. First – Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill. Second-Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, under this, assembly elections of Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir can be held along with the Lok Sabha elections. Through this amendment bill, changes are to be made in these three acts. The Government of Union Territories Act- 1963, The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi- 1991 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act- 2019 are included.
A two-third majority is required to pass the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill in both houses
Out of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the NDA currently has 292 seats. A figure of 362 is required for a two-third majority. At the same time, out of the 245 seats in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA currently has 112 seats and it also has the support of 6 nominated MPs. While the opposition has 85 seats. 164 seats are required for a two-third majority. According to sources, the central government now wants to build a consensus on the bill. The government can send it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC for detailed discussion.
32 parties supported the bill
32 political parties have given their support to One Country-One Election. These include parties like Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP, K Chandrashekhar Rao’s (BRS) and Palaniswami’s AIADMK. These three parties are not part of any alliance (NDA and INDIA).
15 parties opposed
47 political parties had given their opinion to the Ramnath Kovind committee on ‘one country, one election’. Out of these, 32 parties supported it and 15 parties opposed it. The opposing parties have 205 Lok Sabha MPs. That means it is difficult for the Constitution Amendment Bill to be passed without the support of India Alliance.
Congress said- the Government did not get majority on the bill
Congress leader Manikam Tagore said that the government needed a two-thirds majority (307) for the bill in Parliament, but got only 263 votes. 198 votes were cast against it. This bill could not garner the required majority.
What will change after the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill is approved? Understand the whole process
What does the bill say?
According to the bill, if the Lok Sabha or the Legislative Assembly of a state is dissolved before the expiry of its full term, then mid-term elections will be held to complete the remaining five-year term of that assembly. The bill suggests adding Article 82 (A) (simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all the Legislative Assemblies) and amending Articles 83 (duration of the Houses of Parliament), 172 and 327 (power of Parliament to make provisions in relation to elections to Legislative Assemblies).Â
It says that these provisions will come into force from an ‘appointed date’ which will be notified by the President in the first meeting of the Lok Sabha after the general election. The appointed date will be after the next Lok Sabha election in 2029. The bill also states that the term of the Lok Sabha will be five years from the appointed date and the term of all legislative assemblies elected after the appointed date will co-terminate with the term of the Lok Sabha.
How will simultaneous elections be held?
‘One Nation, One Election’ will be implemented in two phases. First for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and second for local body elections to be held within 100 days of the general elections. There will be a single voter list for all elections. Voter ID cards will be prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in consultation with state election officials. The central government will initiate detailed discussions across the country. An implementation group will be formed to implement the recommendations of the Kovind Committee.
What are the recommendations of the Kovind Committee?
According to the high-level Kovind committee, an ‘appointed date’ should be fixed to notify the move. All assemblies formed by state elections after the appointed date will only have a term till the next general elections in 2029. This means a date after the Lok Sabha elections will be fixed. In states going to polls after that date, their term will be terminated in a short time, parallel to the general elections.
Effectively, state governments formed between 2024 and 2028 will have a term only till the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, after which Lok Sabha and assembly elections will automatically be held simultaneously.
For example, a state that will have elections in 2025 will have a government with a four-year term. Whereas a state that will have elections in 2027 will have a government for only two years till 2029.
The report also recommends that in case of a lack of majority in the House, a no-confidence motion or any other such event, fresh elections may be held to constitute a new House – be it the Lok Sabha or the state assemblies.
The term of the new government thus formed will also be only for the remaining period of the previous full term of the Lok Sabha and the end of this period will be considered as the dissolution of the House.
The Kovind Committee has recommended 18 constitutional amendments, most of which will not require ratification by state legislatures. But some will require Constitution Amendment Bills to be passed by Parliament.
There will be two Constitution Amendment Acts for two different phases of ONOP. A total of 15 amendments will be made under these, including the inclusion of new provisions and other amendments.
First Constitution Amendment Bill: According to the committee, the first bill will insert a new article – 82A – in the Constitution. Article 82A will establish the process by which the country will move towards simultaneous elections.
Second Constitution Amendment Bill: The second bill will insert Article 324A in the Constitution. It will empower the central government to make laws to ensure parallel elections to municipalities and panchayats along with Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Support by states:Â
After the introduction of the two amendment bills, Parliament will follow the amendment procedures under Article 368. Since only Parliament has the power to make election laws relating to the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas, the first amendment bill will not require support from the states. But, matters related to voting in local bodies fall under a state subject and the second amendment bill will need to be supported by at least half of the states.
Presidential assent and implementation: After the second bill is endorsed, and passed by a prescribed majority in both houses, the bills will go to the President for her assent. Once she signs the bills, they will become Acts. After this, the implementation group will implement these changes based on the provisions in these Acts.
Some of the proposed changes about a single voter list and voter ID cards will require approval by at least half the states. A new sub-section of Article 325 of the Constitution will suggest that there should be a single voter list for all polling in a constituency.
Apart from this, the Law Commission may also soon submit its report on holding simultaneous elections, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a strong supporter.
Sources said the Law Commission may recommend simultaneous elections to all three tiers of government — Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats — from 2029 and provide for a coalition government in cases of a hung House.
Experts believe that the bills related to holding simultaneous elections in the country can pose serious legal challenges for the government. The first argument is that the concept of ONOE affects the principle of federalism as it deprives the people of the state of their right to stable governance by limiting the tenure of representatives, who will be elected only for an ‘incomplete term’.
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