One Nation, One Election Bills: Modi govt may find it tough to gain numbers in Parliament; what does the math say?

During voting on whether the Bill to amend the Constitution could be introduced, the government managed to get a majority as per requirement but it fell way short of two-third majority of MPs present in the House at 269-198.

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government may find it difficult to push the Bill to amend the Constitution to enable simultaneous elections in the country in Parliament unless it manages to convince three major Opposition parties DMK, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress.

However, these parties are unlikely to follow the BJP path, as they have already made it clear that they oppose the two Bills, including The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 that needs two-third majority for passage.

During voting on whether the Bill to amend the Constitution could be introduced, the government managed to get a majority as per requirement but it fell way short of two-third majority of MPs present in the House at 263-198. Opposition MPs described the Bills as “anti-Constitution” and against the interests of states.

Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore said the Bills have “completely misfired” and “if there would have been a voting on the bills today, the bills would not have passed since a two-third majority was needed”.

In Lok Sabha, the NDA has 292 MPs, excluding the Speaker, while the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. has the support of 236 MPs, including three independents. There are six parties with nine MPs which are unattached and of this, Akali Dal, AIMIM and ASP (Kanshi Ram) with one each MPs have made it clear that they oppose the Bills.

Four-member YSR Congress, which had earlier supported simultaneous polls, may change its stand to oppose the Bill with party sources indicating that they were reviewing the issue after major regional parties like DMK and Trinamool Congress have come out against the proposed legislation.

The stand of four independent MPs -- Engineer Rashid and Amritpal Singh who are in jail, Sarabjeet Khalsa and Umesbhai Patel -- are not immediately known. There is one vacancy in the 543-member Lok Sabha, where 362 votes are needed for two-third majority when the House is in full strength.

In Rajya Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has the support of 125 MPs, including six nominated members, while I.N.D.I.A. has 86. YSR Congress has eight, BJD has seven, AIADMK 4, BRS 4 and BSP 1 MPs in the Upper House.

BJD floor leader Sasmit Patra said they would take a call on the issue when the Bills come to the Rajya Sabha as the party does not have any member in Lok Sabha. Trinamool has 13, DMK and AAP 10 each and SP 4 MPs in Rajya Sabha.

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “My view is that this entire thing is a folly. In any case, the votes today have demonstrated that the BJP does not have the two-third majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.”

In Lok Sabha

Confirmed Votes for Simultaneous Elections:

NDA: 292 (excluding Speaker)

Against Simultaneous Elections

I.N.D.I.A.: 236

Akali Dal: 1

ASP (Kanshi Ram): 1

AIMIM: 1

TOTAL: 239

Stand Not Known:

YSR Congress: 4

VOTTP: 1

ZPM: 1

Ind: 4