On Tuesday, December 17, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, was constituted with 31 Members of Parliament (MPs), including 21 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The bill, which aims to align Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections under the BJP’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) initiative, was introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha earlier the same day.
Voting and Outcome
The bill passed the introduction stage in the Lok Sabha with 269 MPs voting in favor and 198 opposing it, however, falling short of the two-thirds majority (307 votes) required for constitutional amendments. Following the vote, the bill was referred to the JPC for wider deliberation and recommendations.
The committee, tasked with reviewing the bill and presenting its findings, has a 48-hour deadline to reach a consensus as the winter session of Parliament concludes on Friday, December 20. If no resolution is reached by then, the bill will lapse and must be reintroduced in the next session.
Opposition’s Reaction
The opposition has raised strong objections to the bill, questioning its viability and implications:
Congress MP Manickam Tagore criticized the government’s inability to secure the required two-thirds majority, stating on X, “Two-thirds majority (307) was needed out of the total 461 votes, but the government secured only 269, while the opposition got 198. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal failed to gain two-thirds support.”
ALSO READ: Bills tabled, but can BJP ace the number test to pass One Nation, One Election?
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized the challenge of passing constitutional amendments, noting, “Undoubtedly the government has larger numbers… but to pass it as a constitutional amendment, you need a two-thirds majority that they clearly don’t have.”
Challenges Ahead for the BJP
To push the bill through, the BJP will need to secure support from non-aligned parties. Potential allies include the YSR Congress Party, which holds four MPs, and the Shiromani Akali Dal, with one MP. Their combined votes, however, still leave a gap that the BJP must bridge to reach the required numbers.
What Is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
The ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal seeks to synchronize Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections, ensuring that voters across India cast their votes at the same time. Currently, most states follow independent five-year electoral cycles, with only a few states aligning their Assembly elections with the Lok Sabha polls.
The fate of the bill rests with the JPC. Should the committee fail to reach a decision by Friday, the bill will lapse, potentially delaying the government’s flagship electoral reform until the next parliamentary session. Meanwhile, the BJP faces the challenge of rallying additional support to ensure the passage of this ambitious constitutional amendment.
