The Constitution Amendment Bill effectively introduces ‘one nation, one election’, proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and legislative elections by 2034 if the current and next Lok Sabhas complete their five-year terms.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was approved by the Cabinet on Thursday and is expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha soon, said the amendment provisions would come into force on a “specified date”. which will be notified by the President in the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after the general elections.
As The Indian Express reported on Friday, this means that if the date set for the first sitting of the elected Lok Sabha in 2029 is notified, there could be simultaneous elections in 2034, as the first sitting of the elected house was passed earlier this year. .
The bill circulated among MPs on Friday evening proposes to amend the new section – 82 (a) (simultaneous election of the Janata Sabha and all the legislatures) – and section 83 (tenure of the Houses of Parliament); Section 172 (Term of State Legislature); and Article 327 (power of Parliament to make provisions in relation to elections to the Legislature).
As per the recommendations of the High Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, the Bill proposes to amend and insert new articles to enable syncing of terms of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
Assemblies elected after the specified date shall expire after the completion of the full term of the Lok Sabha. If the Lok Sabha or any State Assembly is dissolved before the completion of the full term, there shall be mid-term elections for the said legislature only for the remaining term of five years.
According to the draft bill, Article 82A, which will be inserted, will read as follows: “The President may execute the Constitution by public notice issued by the people on the day of the first sitting of the House after the general election. Provisions of this section, the date of notification shall be called the specified date.
It is stated in the bill, “Notwithstanding what is contained in Article 83 and Article 172, the term of all legislative assemblies constituted in any general election held after the specified date and before the completion of the full term of the public assembly shall expire in the year 2072.” The full term of the Jansabha has ended.”
Citing “costly and time-consuming” elections, the government’s Constitution Amendment Bill says it is necessary to synchronize the various elections to implement simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state/UT assemblies, but does not mention costs or exact timelines for rolling. out of joint elections.
The Bill states that when the MCC is implemented, development work will be stopped, normal life will be affected, service delivery will be affected and when government employees are assigned to election work, they will be hindered from fulfilling their main duties.
The Cabinet also approved the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which amends the relevant laws for the Union Territories, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, to enable simultaneous elections.
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