'One Nation, One Election' Bill Introduced, But NDA's Numbers In Parliament Won't Make Passage Easy

The 'One Nation, One Election' bill, was introduced in Lok Sabha, on Tuesday. However, the Bill to hold simultaneous elections stares at a long road ahead given the NDA's numbers in Parliament.

The central government on Tuesday, December 17, introduced the 'One Nation, One Election' bill in the Lok Sabha, proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. Despite heavy opposition from several political parties, the government announced that the bill would be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed deliberation. A committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind had earlier sought opinions from 47 political parties, with 32 supporting the proposal and 15 opposing it. However, the Bill's path to becoming an act would not be easy.

First-Ever Electronic Voting In New Parliament Building

While the BJP-led government has tabled the bill, securing its passage remains a challenge. The bill requires a two-thirds majority to pass, but the NDA currently holds only a simple majority. For the first time, electronic voting was used in the new Parliament building to introduce the Bill. The government secured 269 votes in favour, while 198 votes were against the motion to introduce it after two rounds of voting.

Currently, the BJP has 240 MPs in the Lok Sabha, and the NDA has 293 members. Despite issuing a three-line whip to ensure attendance, several ruling party MPs were absent during the voting. Twenty BJP MPs missed the session, reportedly due to their involvement in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Jaipur visit, marking one year of the Rajasthan government’s tenure. The party has issued show-cause notices to these MPs.

Two-Thirds Majority Required for Passage

To pass the constitutional amendment for 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, the government will need additional support. The Lok Sabha requires 362 votes for a two-thirds majority, while in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA currently holds 112 out of 245 seats, including 6 nominated members, 164 votes are needed for passage of the Bill.

What Happened During Article 370 Revocation?

In 2019, the BJP successfully passed the constitutional amendment for the abrogation of Article 370 with 370 votes in favour and 70 against it in the Lok Sabha. At that time, the NDA had 343 MPs in the lower house. Today, that number has reduced to 293. The opposition has argued that the government introduced the Bill at this point only to set a political narrative and divert attention from pressing issues such as violence in the nation and the Adani bribery charges in the US.

Congress's Opposition

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed the Bill, stating that although it was introduced technically, the widespread opposition in the House reflected massive disapproval of the government's move. Another Congress MP, Manickam Tagore, said that the BJP would need over 300 votes to meet the two-thirds majority requirement, whereas it currently has only 293.

Meanwhile, BJP allies, including JD(U), Shiv Sena, and TDP, have expressed support for the bill, along with YSRCP. However, achieving consensus would not be an easy task for the ruling party.