One Nation One Election / ONOE bill reintroduced in Lok Sabha, 269 votes were cast in favour and 198 against

One Nation One Election: Tuesday (17 December) was the 17th day of the winter session of Parliament. The highlight of this day was the introduction of the 129th Constitution Amendment Bill for 'One Country, One Election' in the Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. As soon as this bill was presented, there was a lot of discussion and differences in Parliament.

Brief description of the bill and voting process

After the 'One Country, One Election' bill was introduced in the House, various parties were given an opportunity to express their opinion on it. Electronic voting was held to reintroduce the bill amid objections from opposition parties.

First voting: 220 votes were cast in favor and 149 against.

Speaker Om Birla gave the members the option to change their vote through the voting slip.

Recounting: 269 votes were cast in favor and 198 against.

After this process, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal once again introduced the bill in the House.

Amit Shah's comment and JPC discussion

Home Minister Amit Shah clarified during the discussion that when the bill came before the cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had suggested that the bill be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). For this, the Law Minister was told to give a proposal.

Strong reaction from the opposition

Opposition parties opposed the bill and called it a threat to democracy:

SP MP Dharmendra Yadav said, "This bill is an attempt by the BJP to bring dictatorship in the country."

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concern that "this will indirectly implement presidential-style democracy and regional parties will cease to exist."

Voices raised in support

However, many parties also supported the 'One Country, One Election' bill.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP and Union Minister Chandrashekhar Pemmasani supported the bill on behalf of his party, saying that "it will help in smoothening the process of democracy." Electronic voting for the first time in Lok Sabha

A historic feature of this session was that for the first time voting was conducted through electronic division in the Lok Sabha. Speaker Om Birla described it as a new system of Parliament and informed the members about the process.

Bills related to Jammu and Kashmir

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also introduced a bill to amend three laws related to Union Territories. These laws include:

The Government of Union Territories Act-1963

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi-1991

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act-2019

Through this bill, the possibility of giving full statehood status to Jammu and Kashmir was also expressed.

Speaker's assurance: Time for detailed discussion

Speaker Om Birla assured the opposition that after the formation of the JPC, there will be detailed and in-depth discussion on this bill. He said, "As many days as you want, time will be given for discussion."

Conclusion

The 'One Country, One Election' bill has emerged as a historic and controversial issue within the Parliament. While supporters consider it an attempt to streamline the country's election process, opponents call it a threat to democracy. Further debate on this bill and the report of the JPC will be awaited, which will decide its future direction.