The government has listed two Bills for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to implement ‘one nation, one election’.
It is expected that, post-introduction of the Bills, they will be referred to a Parliamentary panel. The two Bills are based on the recommendations of a high-level committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind.
One of the proposed Constitution Amendment Bills, which deals with aligning the local bodies’ elections with those of the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies, will require endorsement from at least 50 per cent of the States.
Sources said the proposed first Constitution Amendment Bill would make provisions for holding Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly elections together.
Article 82A amendment
Citing recommendations of the high-level committee, sources said the proposed Bill would seek to amend Article 82A by adding sub-clause (1) relating to the ‘appointed date’. It would also seek to insert sub-clause (2) to Article 82A, addressing the simultaneous end of terms for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
It also proposes to amend Article 83(2) and insert new sub-clauses (3) and (4) relating to the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha. Additionally, it includes provisions related to the dissolution of Legislative Assemblies and proposes amending Article 327 to insert the term “simultaneous elections”.
It will also seek to amend constitutional provisions related to the preparation of electoral rolls by the Election Commission (EC) in consultation with State Election Commissions (SECs) for local body elections.
The EC conducts elections for the posts of President and Vice-President, as well as for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Assemblies, and State Legislative Councils, while the SECs are mandated to conduct elections for local bodies such as municipalities and panchayats.
The Bill will also create provisions for holding simultaneous elections to municipalities and panchayats, along with elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, by inserting a new Article 324A.
Second Bill
The second Bill will be an ordinary one to amend provisions in three laws dealing with Union Territories that have Legislative Assemblies – Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir – to align the terms of these Assemblies with those of other Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, as proposed in the first Constitution Amendment Bill.
The statutes it proposes to amend are the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991; the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The proposed Bill will be ordinary legislation that does not require a change in the Constitution and will not need ratification by the States.
The high-level committee had proposed amendments to three Articles, insertion of 12 new sub-clauses in the existing articles and tweaking three laws related to Union Territories having legislative assemblies. The total number of amendments and new insertions stands at 18.
