The 'One Nation, One Election Bill' was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the 'One Nation, One Election' bill on Tuesday. At the same time, the MPs of the India Alliance were vocal in opposition to it. The uproar began in the lower house of Parliament. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee wants a vote on the introduction of the bill. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla agreed to the bill, and voting began for and against the introduction of the 'One Nation One Vote' bill. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha today.
For the first time, electronic voting was held in the new building of Parliament. However, due to technical problems, for the first time, many could not press the button properly. As a result, there were two rounds of voting. At the end of the second phase, 269 votes were cast in favour of the 'One Nation, One Election' bill and 198 against.
Home Minister Amit Shah said the bill will be sent to a parliamentary panel for discussion. "When the 'One Nation, One Election Bill' was introduced in the Cabinet, PM Modi had said that the two bills should be sent to a joint committee of Parliament. The bill will now be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussion.
While the ruling party supported the bill, opposition parties, including the India Block, opposed it.
The report of the Committee on One Nation, One Vote was approved by the Union Cabinet on December 12 in the midst of the Winter Session of Parliament. The Modi government had set up a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind on September 1 last year to find guidelines for the implementation of 'One Nation, One Election.' The 18,000-page report was divided into eight volumes to meet President Droupadi Murmu on March 14, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other members of the committee were present there.
Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision to approve the Kovind Committee report was taken after discussions at various forums. He also hinted that the bill could be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
