One Nation One Election Bill Likely Sent to JPC After Majority Vote in Parliament

One Nation One Election Bill: The latest proposal for a 'One Nation, One Election' system, introduced in Parliament, has set the stage for intense political debate. Two key bills—the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024—seek to synchronise the elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The idea? Streamline the election process and reduce governance disruptions caused by frequent polls.

However, the road ahead is anything but smooth, as opinions are sharply divided. Here's a closer look at the developments and how leaders are responding.

The Parliamentary Debate on One Nation One Election Bill

The introduction of the bills witnessed fiery debates in the Lok Sabha. While the government highlighted benefits like cost efficiency and policy continuity, the opposition raised red flags, pointing to potential threats to India's federal structure.

The discussion concluded with a vote, where 269 MPs favored the bills, and 198 opposed them. Notably, this marked the first instance of electronic voting in the new Parliament House. Following the vote, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal formally introduced the bills and agreed to send them to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberations, in line with a suggestion by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah had noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recommended that the bills be reviewed by the JPC for a detailed examination.

What Leaders Are Saying About the Bill

Congress Voices Concerns

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla welcomed the JPC referral, stating, “We were demanding this. The bill has many shortcomings that require detailed discussions.”

#WATCH | On 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, Congress MP Rajiv Shukla, says "It is good that the Bill was sent to JPC. We were also demanding the same. There should be detailed discussions of the Bill in the JPC. There are many shortcomings in the Bill..." pic.twitter.com/asF1RFxxjv

— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024

Shashi Tharoor, another Congress MP, pointed out the challenges of securing the required two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment. “The government may have numbers in the JPC, but they clearly lack the majority for a constitutional change,” he remarked.

#WATCH | On One Nation One Election Bill, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says "...Undoubtedly the government has larger numbers on its side than us. In the JPC, however, they may even have a majority in terms of the composition of the JPC but to pass it as a constitutional amendment,… pic.twitter.com/8e56JJNNCP

— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024

Government Advocates Unified Elections

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi strongly defended the proposal, calling it a transformative step for India’s development. “Holding elections once every five years is in the nation’s best interest. This isn’t against the federal structure. Why mislead people?” he questioned, criticizing the opposition’s resistance.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the 'One Nation, One Election' Bill, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says, "For overall development and progress of the country, all elections will be held once every 5 years. It is in the best interest of the country. All parties should give their suggestions… pic.twitter.com/NKSrDEzdVe

— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024

Joshi’s comments also took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing the party of opposing for the sake of opposition.