One Nation One Election: Will BJD Support The Bill As BJP Scurry For 2/3 Majority?

New Delhi:  The Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Tuesday referred One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bills to Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for a broader consultation.

‘The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024’ and ‘The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024’, which proposes ‘One Nation, One Election,’ or simultaneous elections to both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was formally introduced in Parliament by simple majority, as required by the rules, and was favoured by 269 MPs with 198 opposing it.

Since a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, the government, however, may find it difficult to push it in Parliament unless it manages to convince three major Opposition parties DMK, Samajwadi Party or Trinamool.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had criticised the central government, stating that the BJP does not possess the number to pass the bills. “Undoubtedly, the government has larger numbers on its side than us. In the JPC, they may even have a majority in terms of its composition. However, to pass it as a constitutional amendment, you need a two-thirds majority, which they very clearly don’t have. It’s obvious that they should not persist too long with this,” Tharoor told ANI.

Total members present in the House were 461, and 2/3rd would have meant 307 votes favouring it.

In Lok Sabha, the NDA has 292 MPs, excluding the Speaker, while the Opposition INDIA has the support of 236 MPs, including three independents. There are six unattached parties with nine MPs.

While Akali Dal, AIMIM and ASP (Kanshi Ram) with one MP each have made it clear that they oppose the Bills, four-member YSR Congress, which had earlier supported simultaneous polls, indicated that they were reviewing the issue.

In Rajya Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has the support of 125 MPs, including six nominated members, while INDIA block has 86 (Trinamool has 13, DMK and AAP 10 each and SP 4 MPs). YSR Congress has eight, AIADMK 4, BRS 4 and BSP 1 MPs in the Upper House.

The BJD, which has seven MPs in Rajya Sabha, is yet to decided on the two bills on the matter. “…Presently, the matter has been placed before the Joint Parliamentary Committee and once the committee examines this matter, then of course, BJD on directions of our party president Naveen Patnaik ji will take a call on this matter. It will be quite premature or probably will be jumping the gun before the JPC submits its report,” BJD MP Sasmit Patra told ANI. 

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In September, BJD president Naveen Patnaik had said his party will undertake a detailed study on simultaneous elections before taking a stand on it.

On December 6, former minister & senior BJD leader Raja Swain moved a resolution in Odisha Assembly, signalling that the regional party would oppose ONOE Bill in Parliament. The 8-time Athagarh MLA stated that it would endanger the federal structure and weaken democracy in the country.

Also Read: BJD MPs Show Of Unity In Delhi As Party Debunks Media Speculation

Meanwhile, the BJP is considering sending notices to its 20-odd MPs, who were absent in the Lok Sabha, during the division of the house while the bills were being introduced by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, sources told NDTV.

Previously, the party had issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha members, instructing them to ensure their presence in the House.

(With inputs from Deccan Herald)