Simultaneous poll Bill likely this session

The ruling BJP is all set to push ahead with its one nation, one election promise with the government likely to bring the related Bill in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

Official sources said on Monday that six Bills would be required to bring about 18 amendments to the Constitution and different laws as suggested by the Ram Nath Kovind committee in its report on simultaneous elections which the Union Cabinet approved on September 18.

The Bill, once brought, will be sent to a joint committee of Parliament for comprehensive discussions with stakeholders, including political parties, state governments and civil society.

Alongside Uniform Civil Code, the one nation, one election project is a major Lok Sabha election manifesto pledge of the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his government’s intentions to make simultaneous polls a reality during his Independence Day speech this year.

The plan envisages simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, state Legislative Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already announced that one nation, one election agenda would be implemented in the current term of PM Modi. Official sources today said Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal would engage political party leaders on the issue.

To pass the constitutional amendment Bills, the government would need the votes of two-thirds of the MPs present and voting in both Houses of Parliament.

At present, the effective strength of Rajya Sabha is 231 and the NDA has 112 where a simple majority is 116. In Lok Sabha, out of 543 MPs, the NDA has 303. The simple majority is 272. The government would thus need to work the numbers to pass the Bill.

Presently, out of 47 political parties that responded to the Kovind panel on the issue, 15 opposed and 32 favoured the plan.

Among parties that opposed are Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, CPM, TMC, AIUDF, TMC, AIMIM, CPI, DMK, Naga People’s Front, SP, CPIML, and Social Democratic Party of India.

The BJP, National People’s Party, AIADMK, SAD and majority NDA allies including AJSU, Apna Dal (Soney Lal), JDU, LJP and RLP are among parties that backed simultaneous elections.