Jamili Elections Bill to Lok Sabha on Dec 16

By The Capital

On 14 Dec 2024 16:32:30

Jamili Elections Bill to Lok Sabha on Dec 16

The Union Cabinet has approved two bills related to Jamili elections in India. Consequently, the One Nation-One Election Bill will be presented in the Lok Sabha on the 16th of this month, according to official sources.

It is anticipated that Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce the Jamili Election Bill in the Lok Sabha as part of the 129th Constitution Amendment Bill. Additionally, the Union Cabinet has greenlit the Constitution Amendment Bill to facilitate simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The ruling BJP is now set to take steps to implement the One Nation, One Election plan. Furthermore, the Modi Cabinet has also approved a general bill and two additional draft laws that amend regulations concerning the three Union Territories (Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir) to align with the Constitution Amendment Bill.

Although these bills were not on the cabinet agenda, official sources have confirmed their approval following directives from Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Meanwhile, a committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind has suggested that local body elections should be held alongside the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

To achieve this, the committee recommends the introduction of two constitutional amendment bills. However, the Center has opted to focus solely on the bills concerning Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, excluding local elections from this proposal.

Importantly, to hold local elections concurrently, the approval of 50 percent of the states is required. Additionally, the constitutional amendment itself necessitates a two-thirds majority. The NDA currently lacks the numerical strength to achieve this, which means it will need to seek support from some parties within the India Bloc.

The process will become clearer once the bill is introduced. The Lok Sabha comprises 542 members, with the NDA holding 293 seats and the India alliance possessing 235 seats. To pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill, support from a total of 361 members is essential. The Modi government is looking for a comprehensive discussion regarding these bills.

After their introduction in Parliament, there is a possibility that they will be sent for scrutiny to a parliamentary committee, which is expected to consult with state speakers as part of this process.