New Delhi, Dec 17: The BJP is inquiring into the absence of its nearly 20 MPs from the Lok Sabha during the voting on Tuesday on the introduction of the bill for simultaneous elections.

As the party had issued a whip asking all its members to be present in the House, the absence of so many MPs has irked its leadership, sources said. However, they added that a number of MPs had informed in advance about their absence due to various personal and work-related reasons.

"We are definitely looking into the reasons behind their absence. Quite a few had genuine reasons," a senior leader said.

Some MPs, including Union minister C R Patil, were engaged with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public event in Rajasthan, the sources said.

Four to five MPs from BJP allies were also not present during the voting, they said, adding that this is also being looked into.

Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery 90-minute debate on Tuesday.

The opposition alleged that the move was "dictatorial" and impinged on states' powers even as Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal refuted such concerns.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Meghwal after a division of votes. As many as 269 members voted in favour of the Bill and 198 against it.

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Belagavi: BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, known for his persistent criticism of Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan over issues like Waqf land and farmer notices, met the minister on Tuesday at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

It is reported that Yatnal discussed matters related to the development plans for his Vijayapura constituency during the meeting.

Clarifying the purpose of the meeting through a tweet, Yatnal stated, "I met the minister solely to address development issues concerning my constituency. There were no other discussions. I remain committed to the progress of Vijayapura and fulfilling the aspirations of its people."

The meeting, which comes amid their previous public disagreements, has drawn attention in political circles, sparking curiosity about its broader implications.

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