(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) New Delhi- Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate on Tuesday, with the opposition terming the move“dictatorial” and Law Minister Arjun RAM Meghwal asserting that the legislation would not tamper with the powers enjoyed by states.
The constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Meghwal after a nearly 90-minute debate, followed by a division of votes. As many as 269 members voted in favour of the Bill and 198 against it.
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Meghwal also introduced The Union Territories Amendment Bill, which seeks to align elections in the Union territories of Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir with the Lok Sabha polls.
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He said the proposed bills did not attack the“basic structure doctrine, as claimed by the opposition”.
Principles such as judicial review, federal character of the Constitution, separation of powers, secular character, supremacy of the Constitution had not changed, Meghwal said, adding that the objections to the Bill were political in nature.
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Congress member Manish Tewari opposed the introduction of the bills and termed the move an assault on the basic structure doctrine that stipulates certain features of the Constitution are beyond the amending power of Parliament.
“One of the essential features is federalism and the structure of our democracy. The bills assault the basic structure of the Constitution and exceed the legislative competence of this House,” Tewari, a former Union minister, said.
Samajwadi Party member Dharmendra Yadav said the measure to introduce“one nation, one election” by the BJP was an attempt to bring dictatorship in the country.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had favoured referring the bills to a joint committee of Parliament for wider deliberations at every level.
“Detailed discussions can take place in the JPC. The report of the JPC will be approved by the Cabinet. Then again, there will be a discussion on this (bills) in the House,” Shah said.
Meghwal said he would move a resolution referring the Bills to a joint committee of Parliament.
Earlier,Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee said the bills linked the tenure of state assemblies to that of the Lok Sabha, thus undermining the mandate of the people.
“The state government is not subordinate to the central government or Parliament. The bills take away the autonomy of the state assembly. It is not an election reform but just the fulfilment of one gentleman's desire and dream,” he said.
DMK member TR Baalu said,“The electors have the right to elect the government for five years and this right cannot be curtailed with simultaneous elections.”
The opposition members also objected to Speaker Om Birla's move to call the treasury benches to speak on the bills, leading to a heated debate.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the speaker had given a ruling to allow floor leaders of all parties to speak on the introduction of the bills.
“You alone do not represent Parliament, every political party has a representation here,” Rijiju said.
BJP allies the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Shiv Sena extended“unwavering support” to the election reform measure.
TDP member and Union minister Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani said“one nation, one election” would reduce expenditure on polls and enhance logistical efficiency.
Shiv Sena member Shrikant Shinde hit out at the opposition, saying they were allergic to reforms.
The DMK's Baalu and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) member Supriya Sule favoured referring the bills to a parliamentary committee, if they could not be withdrawn.
“This Bill is aimed at maximising political gain and convenience. This Bill will finish off regional parties,” All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi said.
Anti-constitutional, against federalism: Cong slams bills for holding simultaneous polls
The Congress on Tuesday claimed the bill on holding simultaneous polls was against federalism and“anti-constitutional”, and said the voting at its introduction stage in Lok Sabha showed the BJP lacks the two-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.
Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws - a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill - as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament premises, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said,“Anti-constitutional bill, it is against the federalism of our nation. We are opposing the bill.”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also hit out at the government, saying voting at the introduction stage showed the BJP did not have the two-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.
“We (the Congress) are not the only ones that have opposed this bill. The vast majority of the opposition parties have opposed this bill and the grounds are very many, it is a violation of the federal structure of the Constitution. Why should a state government fall if the central government falls?” he told reporters on the premises.
“Why should the timetable of one who enjoys the mandate of the people be truncated because of the timetable of another? It makes no sense. In a parliamentary system, you cannot have fixed terms. The reason that fixed terms ended in 1969 is because of the fact that we have in our country a parliamentary system... different Houses, different majorities, different coalitions, may rise and fall at different times,” Tharoor said.
He added that going through the trouble of changing the system like this made no sense because it would again result in“the same mess” when a future government at the Centre or in the states lose the confidence of the majority.
“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-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment,” he said.
Tharoor said the government might constitute Parliament's joint committee in such a way that it has a majority, but without a two-thirds majority in the House there would not be a constitutional amendment.
“So this discussion is increasingly futile,” he added.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the bills have“completely misfired” because the BJP does not have the numbers.
“If there would have been a voting on the bills today, the bills would not have passed since two-thirds majority was needed (for constitutional amendment),” Tagore said.
The bills were introduced after the opposition sought a division of votes.
After electronic voting and a subsequent count by paper slips, the bills were introduced with 269 members in favour and 198 against.
This was the first time that the electronic voting system was used in the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament House.
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