
NEW DELHI: At the all-party meeting convened by the BJP-led NDA government ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, the key NDA ally Janata Dal (United) flagged the Centre’s ambitious 'One Nation One Election' Bill, saying that the Bill should not be 'rushed through' and wider consultations are needed.
The meeting was chaired by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, JP Nadda, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and L Murugan.
The ‘One Nation, One Election Bill’ introduced during the Winter Session of Parliament, has been sent to a 39-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny of the Bill.
Raising the issue during the meeting, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that the government shouldn’t be in a hurry to implement the ‘One Nation One Election Bill, which proposes simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Leaders from the different political parties, including Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi and Left leaders John Brittas, P Sandosh Kumar, TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Derek O'Brien, and others attended the meeting.
Jha and another ally TDP also questioned the sitting arrangement in the new Lok Sabha. The issue of the seating arrangement was first raised by Congress MP Gogoi in the meeting, Joining the issue, the MPs held that the seating arrangements were decided unilaterally.
The stage appears to be set for a stormy session as several Opposition MPs trying to corner the government on the mismanagement and VVIP culture that led to the stampede at Maha Kumbh and the procedural lapses in the Waqf Joint Parliamentary Committee’s functioning.
Several Opposition MPs including Gogoi, Brittas, DMK MP TR Baalu, Bandyopadhyay, Sandosh Kumar, and others raised strong reservations over the ‘bulldozing’ of the Waqf panel procedures by chairman Jagadambika Pal and the shabby treatment of the Opposition MPs by the panel. The MPs called the JPC proceedings a 'mockery of democracy and a farcical exercise'.
Sources said SP’s Ramgopal Yadav spoke against the mismanagement of the Uttar Pradesh government in handling the arrangements and the members backed him in seeking more compensation for the victims.
“More attention was paid to self-promotion than management,” sources quoted him as saying.
Several members also raised concerns over the presiding officers refusing to allow adequate debate on critical issues and favouring the ruling party during contentious discussions. Several Opposition MPs also spoke against the changes in UGC norms and said that the new draft regulations will be a threat to the academic integrity and autonomy of state varsities.
According to sources, CPM MP Brittas raised concerns over how ruling party MPs outnumber the Opposition in Standing committees. “As many as 29 members of the ruling party have been given multiple memberships in standing committees,” Brittas was quoted by sources.
In a post on X, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Since the establishment of the Standing Committees in the mid-1990s, Parliament has followed a One MP, One Standing Committee rule. Now there are 26 BJP MPs who are members of two Standing Committees. This shows how the duo are seeking to control the Standing Committees”.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government has appealed to all parties.
“Since it is the Budget Session and the first session of this year, the President will be addressing. After the address of the President, the Economic Survey will be presented on 31st January and on 1st February, the Union Budget will be presented, after which, discussions will be held on the President's address followed by the discussions on budget" he said.
RSP MP NK Premachandran, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, DMK MP TR Baalu, JMM MP Mahua Maji and several other MPs were also present in the meeting.