The ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill, aimed at establishing a mechanism for conducting simultaneous elections across the country, includes a provision to address scenarios where an assembly election cannot coincide with parliamentary elections.
According to the constitution amendment bill, which is anticipated to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the president has the authority to direct an assembly that is unable to hold elections with the Lok Sabha to do a democratic exercise at a later time.
In accordance with section 2 sub-clause 5 of the Constitution (129th) bill of amendment, “If the Election Commission is of the opinion that the elections to any Legislative Assembly cannot be conducted along with the general election to the House of the People, it may make a recommendation to the President, to declare by an order, that the election to that Legislative Assembly may be conducted at a later date.”
In order to establish a system for holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the bill aims to change three articles of the Constitution and add a new one.
The bill aims to amend Articles 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament), 172 (Duration of State Legislatures) and 327 (Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures) and add a new article 82A—simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and all legislative assemblies.
Additionally, it specifies that the President must make a notification on the day of the Lok Sabha’s first session following a general election. This day would be known as the appointed date.
After that chosen date, the Lok Sabha shall have a five-year term.
Once the complete term of the Lok Sabha has passed, the tenure of all state assemblies, which are elected to the Legislative Assemblies after the designated date but before the House of People’s full term ends, would also finish.
Following that, all legislative assemblies and the House of People will have their general elections at the same time.
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