Government Proposes Major Constitutional Changes for Simultaneous Elections

The government is set to introduce three bills, including two constitutional amendments, to implement simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies. The first bill targets synchronization of Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly terms, while the second bill focuses on the electoral coordination between the Election Commission and State Election Commissions for local bodies. The third bill seeks to align Union territory assembly terms with other legislative bodies.

The government is poised to introduce three significant bills, two of which are constitutional amendments, aimed at facilitating its plan to hold simultaneous elections across various governmental bodies.

Among these, the first amendment seeks to synchronize the electoral schedules of the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies, manipulating provisions within Article 82A, Article 83(2), and Article 327.

The second constitutional amendment targets the concurrent preparation of electoral rolls by the Election Commission and State Election Commissions, to include local body elections. Furthermore, the third bill amends laws related to Union territories to align their legislative terms with broader electoral cycles.

(With inputs from agencies.)