One Nation, One Election Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha: 269 MPs Vote in Favor

One Nation, One Election Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha: 269 MPs Vote in Favor

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented constitutional amendment measures on Tuesday that will allow for the simultaneous conduct of state assembly and Lok Sabha elections. After the first round of talks, the opposition called for a vote, and the resolution to present the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 was made. 198 members voted against the measures, while 269 members supported them.

MPs from all parties sharply criticized the introduction of this legislation. Manish Tewari, a Congress MP, expressed his disapproval of the proposals, calling them an assault on the Constitution’s fundamental structural theory. Tewari said that the legislation’ introduction went beyond the House’s legislative authority and requested the administration to revoke them. Dharmendra Yadav, an MP for the Samajwadi Party, also rejected the proposals, claiming that the BJP was trying to impose “dictatorship” in India. He underlined that the fundamental values established by the nation’s founders are compromised by the Constitution Amendment Bill. Yadav reiterated Tewari’s demand that the bill be examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Kalyan Banerjee, an MP for the Trinamool Congress, denounced the measures as being the realization of a single person’s wish rather than a sincere attempt to change elections. Banerjee cautioned that the measures, which emphasize state governments’ independence from the federal government, strike at the foundation of the Constitution. Midterm elections shall only be scheduled to allow the legislature to finish its term if the Lok Sabha or any state parliament is dissolved before its entire term is up, according to the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024. To allow for simultaneous elections, the bill proposes to change Articles 83 (duration of the Houses of Parliament), 172 (length of state legislative assemblies), and 327 (Parliament’s jurisdiction relating to elections) of the Constitution.

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According to the law, the provisions would take effect on an “appointed date” that the President notifies the public, which is anticipated to be following the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. In 2034, simultaneous elections are planned to start. Despite strong criticism from several political parties and activists who contend that it might undermine democratic accountability in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi supports this plan, which was a major component of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 2024 election agenda. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill should be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for more examination and deliberation, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh requested last week.