New Delhi:
The BJP will send notices to MPs who were not present in the Lok Sabha today during the introduction of the government's flagship 'One Country One Election Bill', sources have told NDTV. More than 20 BJP MPs were absent during the division of the House, sources said. The party had earlier sent a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha members, directing them to be present in the House.
The absence of the parliamentarians was not a roadblock for the two bills aimed at amending the constitution and allowing simultaneous parliamentary and state elections.
But it did provide ammunition to Congress, which claimed this was evidence that the administration did not have enough support on the issue.
The bills were passed by simple majority, as required by the rulebook; 269 MPs voted in favor and 198 were against.
But Congress pointed out that a bill to amend the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority to pass.
“No doubt the government has bigger numbers on its side… but to pass it (bills to amend the Constitution) you need a two-thirds majority which they clearly don't have,” Congress leader Shashi Tharoor told reporters. “It is then clear that they should not continue with this for too long,” he added.
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha today by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The government plans to send it to a committee for discussion and get everyone on board, especially because of the sheer numbers that will be needed to make the switch that will entail a series of constitutional changes. These amendments will then have to be ratified by the governments of all states and union territories.
This is exactly where the opposition has huge objections. Most parties argue that the bill will undermine the Constitution – a claim the government has repeatedly refuted.
Even today, while introducing the bill, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “Laws can be introduced for electoral reforms… this bill is in tune with the process of relaxing the electoral process, which will be synchronized. through this bill, the basic structure of the Constitution will not be tampered with.”