On NDA table: Joint polls for 22 states/UTs with LS 2029, Pg5

Key Highlights:

• The NDA is reportedly exploring advancing the first simultaneous elections for 22 states/UTs to 2029, instead of the currently proposed 2034.
• This plan involves dissolving state Assemblies before their full terms end to align with the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
• The Joint Committee of Parliament on the One Nation One Election Bills is currently consulting stakeholders across states.
• Four states—Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha—already have simultaneous elections with the Lok Sabha.
• The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 are under consideration to facilitate simultaneous polls.

Detailed Insights:

• The NDA holds a majority in 22 states/UTs, with 11 of these having elections due in the next two years before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
• Governors could dissolve Assemblies by January 2029 on the advice of their Council of Ministers, as per Article 174 (2)(b) of the Constitution.
• The Representation of the People Act, 1950 mandates the Election Commission to conduct elections within six months of an Assembly's dissolution.
• Advancing the timeline would mean cutting short the terms of several state Assemblies by three to four years.
• The proposed Bills would allow for Assemblies elected after the Lok Sabha polls to have curtailed terms to enable future simultaneous elections.
• The Opposition, including the Congress, has expressed strong opposition to the One Nation One Election concept, citing it as unconstitutional and anti-democratic.

Key Concepts Involved:

• One Nation One Election: A proposal to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all state Legislative Assemblies.
• Article 174 (2)(b): Constitutional provision empowering the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: Legislation governing the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures.
• Joint Committee of Parliament: A committee formed with members from both Houses of Parliament to examine specific bills or issues.