The bill introduces simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and all State Legislative Assemblies. This will ensure that elections for both central and state governments happen together, every five years.
Lets understand how the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 will work:
Here is a more detailed explanation of how the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 will work:
What Will the Bill Do?
The bill introduces simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and all State Legislative Assemblies. This will ensure that elections for both central and state governments happen together, every five years.
1. Fixed Date for Elections
The President of India will issue a public notification on the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election.
This date will be known as the “appointed date”.
From this date, the five-year term of both the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies will begin.
2. Aligning Election Cycles
After the appointed date, elections to the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies will be held together.
Even if state governments have already been elected, their terms will end when the Lok Sabha’s five-year term ends.
This alignment will synchronize elections across the country.
For example:If a state government is elected 2 years before the Lok Sabha elections, its remaining term will end early to match the Lok Sabha's term. The entire country will then hold fresh elections together.
3. Early Dissolution of Governments
What happens if the Lok Sabha or a State Assembly is dissolved before completing its 5-year term?
If a government ends early, elections will be conducted to form a new government.
However, the newly elected government will only serve the remaining time of the original five-year term.
This ensures that all governments still finish their terms simultaneously.
Example:
Let’s say the Lok Sabha's full term is from 2025 to 2030.
If the Lok Sabha dissolves early in 2027, elections will be held, but the new Lok Sabha will only run until 2030 (the original end date).
Similarly, if a State Assembly dissolves early, the new Assembly will also align with the central term.
4. The Role of the Election Commission
The Election Commission of India will oversee the process of conducting elections for both the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
If the Election Commission feels it is impossible to hold elections for a specific State Assembly simultaneously with the Lok Sabha, it can recommend to the President to delay elections for that state.
In such cases, the state election will happen later, but the term of the Assembly will still end along with the Lok Sabha.
5. What Happens in Mid-Term Elections?
If elections are held in between the 5-year term (due to the dissolution of a government):
These elections will be called mid-term elections.
The new government formed will not serve a fresh 5-year term. Instead, it will serve only until the end of the original five-year term of the Lok Sabha or the State Assembly.
For instance:
If the Lok Sabha dissolves 3 years into its term, the new Lok Sabha will serve only for the remaining 2 years to complete the 5-year cycle.
6. Changes to the Constitution
To make this system work, the bill proposes:
Article 82A: A new article that introduces simultaneous elections.
Amendments to Article 83 and Article 172: These articles define the term length of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. They are being modified to allow terms to align and end simultaneously.
Amendment to Article 327: This article gives Parliament the power to make laws related to elections. It is being updated to include simultaneous elections.
How It Will Look in Practice
Appointed Date: The President announces the date after the Lok Sabha election.
Full Term: The Lok Sabha and State Assemblies will serve for 5 years from this date.
Simultaneous Elections: After 5 years, elections will happen together for both central and state governments.
Early Dissolutions: If any government (central or state) ends early, elections will be held, but the new government will only serve until the end of the original term.
Why
Saves Money and Resources: Organizing elections is expensive. By holding them together, the government can save money and resources like security forces, voting machines, and staff.
Less Disruption: Elections lead to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, which pauses development work. Fewer elections mean fewer interruptions to public projects and day-to-day governance.
Efficiency: Simultaneous elections will make the electoral process smoother and easier to manage for everyone involved.
References:
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