One Nation One Election / These 11 MPs including Gadkari and Giriraj were absent from the Parliament on ONOE bill

One Nation One Election: The absence of 11 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs during the introduction of the One Nation-One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha has created a stir in the political corridors. The absent MPs also include several Union Ministers, due to which the party is now preparing to issue notices to all of them. At the same time, among the NDA allies, Jansena MP Balasori was also absent from the House.

BJP's position on the introduction of the bill

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. This bill provides for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across the country.

The opposition started raising questions against the government after getting the votes of only 269 MPs at the time of introduction of the bill. Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that the government could not even garner a simple majority. He said, "When the government is not able to get general support, how will it get a two-thirds majority?"

Questions raised on the absence of BJP MPs

The absence of BJP MPs is surprising because the party had issued a three-line whip on Monday evening itself. Under the whip, all MPs were instructed to be compulsorily present in the House. Despite this, 11 MPs including many big leaders were absent.

List of absent MPs

According to BJP sources, the names of the MPs who were not present in the Lok Sabha when the bill was presented are as follows:

Shantanu Thakur

Jagdambika Pal

B. Y. Raghavendra

Giriraj Singh

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Nitin Gadkari

Vijay Baghel

Udayraj Bhosale

Bhagirath Chaudhary

Jagannath Sarkar

Jayant Kumar Roy

Party's strict stand: Notice will be issued

BJP has decided to issue notice to these MPs who violated the whip. According to the party, after the whip is issued, it is mandatory for the MPs to give prior notice and give reasons in case of absence. If there is absence without information, the party will issue a notice and seek a reply. If a satisfactory answer is not received, disciplinary action can be taken.

Opposition's opposition

The opposition parties have strongly opposed this bill. Congress, Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties have called it an attack on the federal structure of the Constitution. At the same time, the opposition says that this bill will disrupt the democratic process.

Government's side

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, while introducing the bill, said that the purpose of one country-one election is to reduce election expenses and make governance more effective. He said that due to frequent elections, development work gets disrupted and the attention of the government is diverted.

Conclusion

The absence of MPs during the presentation of the One Nation-One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha has posed a new challenge for the BJP. While the opposition is calling it a failure of the government, the party is also preparing to take strict action against indiscipline within. The political atmosphere is likely to heat up further on this issue in the coming days.