'One Nation, One Election' bill introduced in Lok Sabha
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New Delhi: The Centre introduced the 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOP) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The bill seeks to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
Ahead of the introduction, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha. The bill, which is part of the listed agenda for the day, includes a Constitution Amendment proposal – the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill. The bill that runs into eight pages involves amendments in ARticles 82, 83, 172 and 327.
Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal introduced the bill and is also expected to present another bill to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This bill aims to align the elections for Assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry to facilitate simultaneous elections.
In response, BJP's ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), issued a whip to all its MPs, while Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) also instructed their MPs to be present in the House.
Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation One Election' bill. Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the government is agreeable to referring the bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed review.
In line with that, the House decided to refer the bill to a Joint Committee of Parliament for further discussions. The committee will be formed on a pro-rata basis according to the party strengths in the House.
While the BJP and its allies support the bill, several opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, and DMK, have expressed their opposition.
The bill is based on the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, which was chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. The committee's report suggested that the implementation of simultaneous elections be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be held simultaneously, followed by local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) within 100 days of the general elections. The committee also recommended the creation of a common electoral roll for all elections.
In a related development, Congress MP Manish Tewari submitted a notice in the Lok Sabha on Monday to oppose the introduction of the bill, stating his intention to challenge the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024.
With IANS inputs