In a significant political development, the BJP has decided to send notices to MPs who were absent in the Lok Sabha during the introduction of the government’s flagship One Country One Election Bill. Sources revealed that more than 20 BJP MPs were not present during the division of the house, even though the party had issued a three-line whip instructing all members to be present.

Despite the absences, the government successfully passed the bills, which aim to amend the Constitution and allow simultaneous parliamentary and state elections. The bills were passed by a simple majority, with 269 MPs voting in favor and 198 opposing. However, the Congress seized the opportunity to highlight the absence as evidence that the government lacked adequate support for the bill.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor pointed out that while the government has the majority, the passage of a Constitution amendment bill requires a two-thirds majority. He argued that the government did not meet this threshold and should not persist with the legislation without securing the necessary support.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The government plans to send the bill to a committee for further discussion, aiming to bring all stakeholders on board. The bill involves a series of amendments to the Constitution, which would require ratification by the states and union territories.

Opposition parties have raised concerns that the bill could undermine the Constitution, an allegation that the government has repeatedly denied. Minister Meghwal defended the bill, stating that it would not damage the Constitution or tamper with its basic structure, instead aiming to ease the electoral process by synchronizing elections.