ONOE Bill likely today

New Delhi: The NDA government is all set to introduce the Constitutional Amendment Bill on the One Nation One Election in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. There is a possibility of referring it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee as the opposition INDIA bloc is strongly opposing it. Speculations are high that the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, would be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. After its introduction, Meghwal may request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the Bill to a Joint Committee of Parliament for wider consultations.

The joint panel will be constituted on a pro-rata basis, based on the strength of MPs of various parties. As the largest party, the BJP will get chairmanship of the committee, besides several members.

Last week, the Union Cabinet approved the bill to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but opted to leave "as of now" how local body polls are held.

Meghwal may tell the Lower House that since the Bill will need wider consultations with lawmakers and the public, it should be sent to a joint committee.

Initially, the tenure of the proposed committee will be for 90 days but it may be extended later. Kovind had said during the consultation process on “one nation, one election” that 32 parties supported the idea while 15 did not. Simultaneous polls were held in the country between 1951 and 1967. The concept of simultaneous elections has been featured in many reports and studies since 1983, essentially implying a return to the previous practice of conducting polls concurrently.