Why in News?
The proposed One Nation, One Election Bill is in news as former CJI Sanjiv Khanna told the JPC it gives the Election Commission “unfettered discretion”, potentially undermining federalism and Article 14, with legal and constitutional concerns.
Description:
Key Provisions of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024
- New Article inserted: Article 82A – enables simultaneous elections.
- Article 83 (Duration of Parliament)
- Lok Sabha dissolved before full term → next Lok Sabha serves only remainder of unexpired term.
- New House after mid-term polls ≠ continuation of old one.
- Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures): Similar changes as Article 83 → State Assemblies will align with Lok Sabha term.
- Article 327 (Parliament’s Power on Elections): Expanded to include “conduct of simultaneous elections”.
- Appointed Date: President notifies; from then, State Assemblies elected before expiry of full Lok Sabha will end with Lok Sabha’s term.
- Election Commission’s Powers:
- If the Assembly poll cannot be held with Lok Sabha → EC recommends deferment to the President.
- The Deferred Assembly will also end with Lok Sabha’s term.
- EC to notify the end-date of each Assembly while scheduling elections.
Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- Amends:
- Government of Union Territories Act, 1963
- Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991
- J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019
- Aligns UT Assemblies’ term with Lok Sabha.
About Simultaneous Elections (ONOE)
- Means elections for Lok Sabha + State Assemblies (and ideally local bodies) together.
- Local bodies not included in the Bill.
- Voting need not be on one single day – can be in phases.
- A high-level committee (headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind) gave a roadmap for phased synchronization.
Need for Simultaneous Elections
- Financial savings: Reduces election expenditure, manpower, security deployment.
- Economic benefits: Reduces uncertainty, boosts business environment.
- Governance: Avoids repeated Model Code of Conduct (MCC) disruptions.
- Voter participation: Minimizes voter fatigue.
- Operational efficiency: Fewer election offences, less burden on courts.
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