Electoral reform is the focus of a heated debate in the Lok Sabha today. The House set aside 10 hours for a detailed discussion during the Winter Session of Parliament. The time is evenly split between the ruling party and the Opposition, highlighting the significance of the topic.
Lok Sabha take Electoral reforms today
The discussion will address several concerns. These include the role of the Election Commission, transparency in campaign spending, limiting candidates with criminal backgrounds, the reliability of electronic voting machines, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The government argues that this effort aims to strengthen electoral integrity and improve transparency and accountability in the democratic process. However, the Opposition is likely to raise serious questions about the fairness of elections and object to proposals like “One Nation, One Election.”
Law minister starts 10 day debate
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will kick off the debate. Representatives from the BJP scheduled to speak include Nishikant Dubey, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Sanjay Jaiswal, and PP Chaudhary. PP Chaudhary is also the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the “One Nation, One Election” plan.
Alliance partner Shiv Sena will be represented by Srikant Shinde and Naresh Mhaske. Arun Bharati will speak for the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and GM Harish Balayogi will represent the Telugu Desam Party.
From the Opposition side, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will lead the discussion for the Congress in Lok Sabha. In recent months, he has accused the Election Commission and the BJP of manipulating the electoral process—a claim the government denies.
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