New Delhi: The ‘One Nation-One Election’ plan to conduct simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections took center stage in Parliament on Tuesday as Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill. Despite opposition resistance, the bill was tabled after a voting process that saw 269 MPs in favor and 198 against.
The NDA and its allies, including TDP, extended full support for the bill, while opposition parties like Congress, SP, and TMC strongly opposed it. Voting was conducted in a hybrid manner, with both electronic votes and ballots being utilized.
TDP MP Pemmasani Chandrasekhar endorsed the bill unconditionally, stating, “TDP supports creative ideas and cooperative federalism. Jamili elections will reduce election costs, improve polling percentages, and boost efficiency. Continuous elections hinder development, with costs exceeding ₹1 lakh crore.”
However, opposition leaders criticized the bill, citing concerns about democracy, federalism, and states’ rights. Congress MP Manish Tiwari argued that the bill “violates the basic structure of the Constitution.” SP leader Dharmendra Yadav warned it could “lead to dictatorship.” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee compared it to the NJAC Bill, predicting it would be struck down by the Supreme Court.
Majlis MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill for promoting a “presidential style rule,” while NCP MP Supriya Sule demanded the bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). In defense, Shiv Sena MP Srikanth Shinde dismissed the criticism, stating, “Opposition parties are allergic to reforms.”
Union Minister Amit Shah clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself suggested referring the bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberation.
The introduction of this bill marks a significant step toward the government’s vision of synchronizing elections across India, though it continues to face stiff opposition.
