One Nation, One Election: 20 BJP MPs Defy Party Whip, May Face Action

This is despite a whip being issued to all party MPs to ensure their presence in the House.

BJP MP Action: Sources suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may issue notices to approximately 20 of its MPs who were absent during the voting on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill in the Lok Sabha on (17 December). This is despite a whip being issued to all party MPs to ensure their presence in the House.

One Nation, One Election Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, concerning simultaneous elections, was introduced in the Lok Sabha for the first time following e-voting. The motion was passed by a majority. 269 votes were cast in favour of the motion, while 198 were cast against it. The bill will now be sent to a joint parliamentary committee for comprehensive deliberation at all levels.

Manish Tewari Raises Concerns

Senior Congress leader and former minister, Manish Tewari, termed the bill unconstitutional. He argued that the basic structure, beyond Schedule 7, cannot be altered, and the bill under consideration is an attack on the Constitution.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the bill. Following Tewari’s opposition, several other opposition parties echoed the sentiment, claiming the bill violates the spirit of the Constitution. Prominent leaders including Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, DMK’s T.R. Baalu, and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, among others, opposed the bill.