ONOE | BJP may have to rope in YSRCP, BJD, AIADMK, BRS for Bill passage
One Nation, One Election Bill needs two-thirds majority for passage in both Houses, which NDA currently lacks; asking around for support may be the only option
The real job for the BJP and the NDA leadership, in a sense, will start now.
In the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, the Narendra Modi government has taken a big step to fulfill its electoral commitment to implement One Nation, One Election (ONOE). What may nip its ambition in the bud is numbers.
The contentious Bills, tabled in the Lok Sabha, require a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament, a number the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) currently do not possess. This may force the BJP leadership to rope in parties such as the YSRCP, BJD, AIADMK and BRS to get the required numbers.
The controversial Bills, vehemently opposed by all Opposition parties, will now be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which will present its recommendations before the Lok Sabha.
Major challenge
The challenge for the BJP and NDA is that the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to allow the implementation of ONOE, require the support at least two-third MPs in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Though the NDA has more than 300 MPs in the Lok Sabha and around 135 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, it does not have the required number in either House to get the two Bills passed.
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“The BJP and NDA already have more than 300 MPs in Lok Sabha and the number in Rajya Sabha of NDA is also substantial but the Union government will make efforts to talk to other political parties so that the Bill gets passed in Parliament. Since the Bill will be with the JPC, there will be consultations with all political parties and it is possible that more parties will come forward for the passage of the Bill. The Opposition parties should come forward to support the Bill because it is in the favour of the country,” a senior BJP leader from Lok Sabha told The Federal.
Non serious opposition
While the BJP is hopeful that non-NDA parties and like minded parties will come forward in support of the Bill, and it will get passed in the coming Parliament sessions, senior leaders of the NDA pointed out that the Opposition parties were not taking the Bills seriously.
Senior BJP leaders cautioned that the Congress and some of its INDIA alliance parties would try to block the passage of the Bills because they want to oppose the BJP.
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“The Opposition lacks agenda against the Union government, BJP and NDA. Even today, when the Bills to allow ONOE were being presented in the Lok Sabha, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not present in the House. Many more Congress leaders and MPs and India alliance leaders were also not present in the House. If they are so opposed to the idea of One Nation, One Election, the least they can do is be present in the House and give their views during the discussion,” a BJP leader from Lok Sabha told The Federal.
Like minded parties
The journey for ONOE is not going to be easy, and the contentious Bills will require the entire convincing skills of the BJP and NDA leadership to get the support of parties that are not aligned with the Congress.
The BJP leadership is looking at the support of YSRCP, Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK and BRS to make it easier for the ruling alliance to get the required numbers. While YSRCP has openly supported the decision, the BJP leadership will have to speak to the chief of BJD, BRS and AIADMK to get their support.
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“The Bill has just been tabled in the Lok Sabha and BJD does not have any MP in Lok Sabha. Now the Bill will go to the JPC and then the government will again bring it in the Lok Sabha. Once this process is completed, the Bill will then be brought to Rajya Sabha. The leader of BJD is aware of the entire matter and we will take a decision when the Bill comes before the Rajya Sabha,” Sasmit Patra, leader of the BJD in the Rajya Sabha, told The Federal.
The BJP is confident of getting support of the BJD and AIADMK because both parties have earlier spoken in favour of ONOE and the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha take place along with the assembly elections so the state is already witnessing ONOE every five years.
Conditional support
While YSRCP is more than ready to support the BJP on ONOE and the support of the regional party is needed because it has four MPs in Lok Sabha and eight in Rajya Sabha, the BJP leadership will have to convince YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on some crucial issues.
Senior leaders of the YSRCP want to move an amendment suggesting that while they support the decision on ONOE, the Union government must ensure that elections will happen using ballot papers and not EVMs.
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“The YSRCP is in support of ONOE because assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha take place along with the general elections so we are already witnessing ONOE in our states. But the support of YSRCP will need an assurance from the union government that elections will take place using ballot papers and not EVMs. Although YSRCP does not doubt the credibility of the Election Commission, there are several questions and doubts that are repeatedly being raised about the election process. We want these doubts to get dispelled once and for all, and there should be no doubts in the minds of people after the polls,” PV Midhun Reddy, senior MP of YSRCP, told The Federal.
