The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, commonly known as the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, proposing simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the results of the vote on the Bill’s introduction, with 269 members voting in favour and 196 opposing it.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal formally presented the Bill and requested that it be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further consultation, as suggested by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In his address to the house, Shah said: “When the One Nation, One Election Bill was presented to the cabinet for approval, Prime Minister Modi suggested that it should be sent to the JPC for detailed discussions. If the Law Minister is willing to do so, the discussion on its introduction can conclude.”
However, the Bill faced strong opposition from several MPs. Congress MP Manish Tewari argued that the Bill infringes on the basic structure of the Constitution, particularly the principle of federalism. “The bills moved by the Minister of Law and Justice are a direct assault on this fundamental structure and are beyond the legislative competence of the House,” Tewari said.
DMK MP TR Baalu also voiced his opposition, calling the Bill “anti-federal.” He emphasized that the electorate has the right to elect their government for a full five-year term, which, he argued, could be undermined by simultaneous elections.
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav echoed concerns raised by other members of the opposition INDIA bloc, saying, “This bill undermines the basic spirit of the Constitution.. I stand with Manish Tewari, and on behalf of my party and my leader Akhilesh Yadav, I say there was no one more learned than the framers of our Constitution, and we cannot allow this assault on it.”
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also criticized the Bill, claiming it directly challenges the Constitution’s basic structure. “State governments and assemblies are not subordinate to the central government or Parliament. The autonomy of state legislative assemblies is at risk with this proposal,” Banerjee said.
(With ANI inputs)