The Narendra Modi-led government is expected to introduce two crucial bills in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday aimed at facilitating the ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative. These bills—the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024—are designed to pave the way for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and potentially local bodies.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes a range of constitutional amendments to synchronize elections. It seeks to introduce a new article, 82A, for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies. The bill also amends articles related to the duration of Parliament and State Legislatures, as well as provisions for election conduct.
The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is aimed at modifying key legislative acts, including the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to ensure the alignment of simultaneous elections with the House of the People and State Assemblies.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will present the bills in Parliament. To ensure full participation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line whip for all its Lok Sabha MPs to attend the session on December 17, 2024.
The Union Cabinet has already approved the two bills, though decisions regarding local body elections have been deferred for now. The bills are a response to the long-debated idea of holding simultaneous elections to streamline the electoral process, reduce the frequency of election-related disruptions, and ease logistical and financial pressures on administrative resources.
The Constitution (129th) Amendment Bill, if passed, will ensure that the tenure of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies are synchronized. Following the passage of this bill, elections for all the legislative bodies would be held simultaneously. In case of early dissolution of any legislative body, the newly elected members will serve for the remainder of the original term.
The move towards simultaneous elections has its roots in the findings of a high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which recommended the synchronization of elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as a first stage. The committee submitted its report to the President in March 2024, and the government has accepted its recommendations.
The bill aims to address several challenges, including the frequent imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, which often disrupts development activities, and the strain of organizing multiple elections. The government believes that simultaneous elections will simplify administrative processes and contribute to more efficient governance.
The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill will further facilitate this process by aligning the legislation concerning elections in Union Territories with the new framework for simultaneous elections.
The government’s initiative marks a significant step toward overhauling the electoral system in India, with the potential for far-reaching political and administrative implications.
