NEW DELHI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to send notices to around 20 members of parliament (MPs), who were absent during voting on the bill meant for the “one nation, one election” in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, reported a news agency ANI citing sources.
The MPs from the BJP were absent in the Lower House in defiance of the whip that the party had issued days ahead of the proceeding which was supposed to vote on the simultaneous polls bills, officially named the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Union law minister Arjun Meghwal on Tuesday introduced two bills aimed at conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, as part of the ‘one nation, one election’ initiative, which sparked strong opposition protests.
The bills, however, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the lower house, receiving 269 votes in favour and 198 against.
The opposition parties criticised the bills as an attack on federalism, while the government asserted that the bill was in line with the Constitution. “ONOE bills in line with Constitution, do not assault basic structure doctrine. Objections to ONOE bills political in nature,” stated the law minister.
The opposition demanded immediate withdrawal of the bills, labelling them as an assault on the Constitution and an attempt to ‘kill democracy and bring authoritarianism and dictatorship.’
Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested sending the bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for thorough examination. “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. If the law minister is willing to send the bill to JPC, the discussion on its introduction can end,” Shah said.