Over 20 BJP MPs to face action for skipping Lok Sabha when Centre introduced ONOE Bill: Report

Members during electronic voting after which two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections, were introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament. (PTI)

Over 20 MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are set to face the music over their absence in Lok Sabha on Tuesday at the time of the introduction of the One Nation One Election Bills. The party is now set to issue notices to the absent MPs for defying the three-line whip issued by the party, directing them to be present in the House, reports NDTV citing sources.

When the introduction of the Bill was put to vote in the House. Regardless of the absent MPs during the division of votes, the Bill was introduced on the basis of a simple majority -- 269 MPs voted in favour and 198 MPs opposed it.

However, the issue did provide fodder to the Opposition to claim that the government did not have enough support to get the Bill cleared in the House.

While the introduction of the Constitution amendment Bill requires a simple majority, its passage will require the government to garner a two-thirds majority in the House.

"Undoubtedly the government has larger numbers on its side... but to pass it (bills to amend the Constitution) you need a two-third majority that they very clearly don't have...It is obvious (then) that they should not persist too long with this," Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told reporters.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Centre has said that it is willing to refer the Bill to a joint parliamentary panel for wider discussions and debates to ensure its acceptability.

The introduction of the Bill saw a fierce protest by Opposition leaders who said that the Bill seeks to subvert the Constitution and is an attack on the federal structure of India. The government has repeatedly denied the charge.

"Laws can be brought in for electoral reforms... this bill is aligned with the process of easing the electoral process, which will be synchronised. There will be no damage to the Constitution via this Bill. There will be no tampering with the basic structure of the Constitution," Law minister Meghwal said in Parliament.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposes to amend three articles of the Constitution and insert a new one, Article 82A, as per the recommendations of the High Level Committee on One Nation, One Election chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

As per the draft Bill, Article 82A provides for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies. Article 172 of the Constitution pertains to cases of dissolution of a state Assembly before its full term. As per the proposed amendment, the election would be held for the unexpired term of the preceding Assembly.

The third amendment pertains to changes in Article 327. The Bill proposes to add to change the article that pertains to the power of Parliament to make provisions with respect to elections to state legislatures.

The amendment proposes to add the words “conduct of simultaneous elections” after the words “delimitation of constituencies” in the provision that allows Parliament to make provisions elections to either House of Parliament or to the House or either House of the Legislature of a State including the preparation of electoral rolls, the delimitation of constituencies, among others.