The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will soon issue notices to its Lok Sabha members who were absent during the introduction of the ‘One Nation, One Election‘ bills on Tuesday. Notably, prominent leaders like Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Giriraj Singh were among those missing.
Earlier, the BJP had issued a three-line whip, directing all MPs to attend the session. Consequently, the party is now questioning the absent members. According to sources quoted by ANI, it remains unclear if the MPs had informed the party of their absence in advance or missed the session due to other commitments.
Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha
On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced two significant bills:
- The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024
These bills aim to implement simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. However, opposition members protested the move and demanded a division of votes. During the voting process, 269 MPs supported the introduction, while 196 opposed it.
Bills Referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee
Following the voting, the bills were referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further deliberations. Explaining the decision, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recommended sending the bills to the JPC for detailed discussions.
BJP MPs Missing During the Vote
Interestingly, around 20 BJP MPs, including senior leaders and ministers, were absent during the crucial session. These included Nitin Gadkari, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Giriraj Singh, and CR Patil. In addition, other members like Shantanu Thakur, Jagdambika Pal, BY Raghavendra, Vijay Baghel, Udayraje Bhonsale, and Chintamani Maharaj also missed the division of votes.
Although their absence did not affect the introduction of the bills, it gave the opposition an opportunity to criticize the BJP. For instance, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor claimed that while the government had enough votes for the introduction, it lacked the numbers required to pass the bills. He urged the government to reconsider its persistence on the matter.
Challenges Ahead
Moving forward, the government faces significant challenges. While only a simple majority was required to introduce the bills, a two-thirds majority will be necessary to pass the constitutional amendments. Therefore, the BJP must address internal coordination issues and build consensus to ensure the bills’ success. Meanwhile, the opposition’s firm stance and ongoing debates are likely to add further complexity.
