Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the ONOE Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The presentation of the ONOE Bill has brought yet another challenge for the Parliament as opposing parties presented themselves to show their stand against it; they requested its withdrawal before it further proceeds as something anti-constitutional and undemocratic.
Congress workers strongly presented their views condemning the government in a strong rebuke: the Bill shall be withdrawn immediately.
Home Minister Amit Shah rebutted the charge and said that it has become a habit of the Congress party to oppose progressive legislations.
The TDP, a key BJP ally expressed unwavering support to the ONOE Bill and said that this will not only ease India's fiscal burden but will also cut down the electoral expenses by more than 40 per cent.
Among the parties that vociferously opposed the ONOE Bill were the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, the Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and more.
All of them called the Bill an assault on the Constitution and a brazen attempt to 'kill democracy and bring authoritarianism and dictatorship.'
The AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, voicing opposition to the Bill, said that this legislation was being brought to finish off all regional parties.
"This is aimed at maximising political gains to a certain party and will pave the way for a presidential form of government," he said, slamming the BJP-led Centre.
The ONOE Bill proposes to hold simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha as well as State Assemblies, by synchronizing the tenures of Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.
The ONOP has been a long-standing poll promise of the BJP-led NDA.
Top Opposition leaders, such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and MK Stalin, have already opposed the idea of simultaneous polls, terming it a move towards "authoritarian democracy."
The Lok Sabha Speaker is likely to refer the newly-tabled Bills to a Joint Committee of Parliament for wider consultations.
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