New Delhi [India], December 18 : After the Lok Sabha on Tuesday introduced the bill on 'One Nation, One Election,' the proposal met strong resistance from Opposition parties, who voiced concerns about its potential impact on democracy.
Despite the backing from the ruling BJP-led alliance, the proposal sparked a wave of opposition from several political parties, who have criticized it as an attack on federalism and democratic principles.
The Opposition raised concerns that the change could disproportionately benefit the ruling party, giving it undue influence over the electoral process in states, and could undermine the autonomy of regional parties.
Opposition members opposed the bill's introduction. In the division, 269 members voted in favour of the bill's introduction, and 196 voted against it.
The bills will now be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberations.
Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal tabled two crucial Bills: the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill) 2024.
These Bills, which were approved by the Cabinet last week, seek to pave the way for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies across India.
Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Gaurav Gogoi strongly opposed the introduction of the Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, in a sharp response to the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, expressed his opposition to the government's proposal, citing concerns about the bill's impact on India's federal structure.
The Congress MP said that to save the 0.02 per cent expenditure of the annual budget, the government wants to "end the entire federal structure of India" and give more power to the ECI.
Gogoi argued that the cost of conducting elections, such as the Rs 3,700 crores spent on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections--representing only 0.02 per cent of the annual budget--is negligible compared to the far-reaching implications of the bill.
He described the bill as unconstitutional and expressed discontent over its introduction in Parliament. "We have opposed this unconstitutional bill today," Gogoi stated.
Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala also called the 'One Nation, One Election' bill, unconstitutional and called for its reintroduction before being sent to the JPC.
"The bill is unconstitutional. The people of the nation have to understand that we have a federal structure and the state governments which are working on the independent clause will be affected. We want the bill to be discussed even before it is referred to JPC," said Chamala.
Independent MP Pappu Yadav also spoke on the same and said, "You take up any issue, you will understand that in any situation they (NDA government) have only two issues. First divide and rule... Second, ignore all important issues. There is no issue on which they are serious. They just mislead the people of the country on every issue. If you want to save money then give the election campaign budget to the Election Commission. They should learn from Germany, and Europe. (This bill) will harm the parties of Eknath Shinde, Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu the most."
TMC MP Saugata Roy also reacted to the One Election bill and said, "We opposed the bill. We want the bill to be withdrawn."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday criticised the central government, stating that passing the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill as a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, which the BJP does not possess.
"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.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee on Tuesday said that the 'One Nation, One Election' bill hits at the basic structure of the Constitution and alleged that the government wants to change the constitutional structure.
He said there is an attempt to move towards a presidential form of government in the country.
In contrast, Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar on Tuesday welcomed the 'One Nation, One Election' proposal, calling it a step towards realising the foundational principles of India's Constitution and asserting that it aims to strengthen the country's democratic structure.
Describing the initiative as a significant move, Kumar said it aligns with the core values of India's Constitution.
"We have taken one step forward with the introduction of 'One Nation, One Election.' Ye Constitution ki 'moolavdharana' hai (This is the fundamental essence of the Constitution)," said Indresh Kumar.
Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora welcomed the introduction of the 'One Nation, One Election' bill on Tuesday, emphasizing that the initiative was the need of the hour as it would help streamline India's electoral process.
Deora noted that holding all elections simultaneously, as practised in the past, would significantly reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and allow the government to better concentrate on governance and policy-making.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday welcomed the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, saying that frequent elections hinder the country's development and prevent governments from making long-term decisions.
Meanwhile, the BJP is likely to issue notices to over 20 of its MPs who were absent during the division for the introduction of the 'One Nation, One Election' bill in the Lok Sabha today, according to the sources.
The party had issued a three-line whip for the presence of its MPs stating that some important legislative agenda is on the agenda.
Opposition members had opposed the introduction of the bill. In the division, 269 members voted in favour of the introduction of the bill and 196 voted against it.
Union Ministers Giriraj Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Jyotiraditya Scindia and CR Patil were among nearly 20 BJP MPs absent during the division for the introduction of the 'One Nation, One Election' bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, according to the sources.
Sources said Shantanu Thakur, Jagdambika Pal, BY Raghavendra, Vijay Baghel, Udayraje Bhonsale, Jagannath Sarkar, Jayant Kumar Roy, V Somanna, Chintamani Maharaj were also among those not present in the House.
The sources said it is not clear yet if those not present had informed the party about their absence due to prior engagement or any other reason.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024', which propose simultaneous elections for both Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was introduced in the lower house today. The bills were introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The bills will now be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that when the One Nation, One Election Bill was taken up in the cabinet for approval, PM Modi had said that it should be sent to the JPC for detailed discussion.