Centre to introduce 'One Nation, One Election' bill in Lok Sabha today

New Delhi, Dec 17: The Centre will introduce the 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOP) Bill in the Lok Sabha at noon on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip to all MPs in Lok Sabha ahead of the introduction of the bill.

'One Nation, One Election' bill, which provides for simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, is slated to be introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The listed agenda of Lok Sabha for Tuesday includes the Constitution Amendment Bill concerning simultaneous elections.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal.

Arjun Meghwal is also likely to introduce a Bill on Tuesday to further to amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

This bill seeks to align elections for Assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry for purposes of simultaneous elections.

Following this announcement, BJP's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also issued a whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha, and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) also asked all MPs to be present in the House.

The Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation One Election' bill earlier this month.

After its introduction, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the 'One Nation One Election' 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.

While the BJP and its allies are in support of the bill, several opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK are opposed to it.

The Union Cabinet had in September accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections. The panel was headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

The recommendations were outlined in a report by a high-level panel chaired by former President Kovind.

The panel recommended the implementation of simultaneous polls in two phases. It recommended holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously in the first phase and conducting local body elections (panchayat and municipalities) within 100 days of general elections.

It said there should be a common electoral roll for all elections.