• Source:JND
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The Centre is set to introduce the constitution amendment bill related to the One Nation One Election in Lok Sabha on Tuesday (November 17). The bill will facilitate simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state and Union territory assemblies. However, the bill includes a provision for cases where an Assembly election cannot be held at the same time as the parliamentary elections.

The Constitution (129th) Amendment Bill includes a provision allowing the President to issue an order permitting the election of a Legislative Assembly to be held at a later date if it cannot coincide with the Lok Sabha elections. 

The 'One Nation, One Election' bill aims to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha (India's lower house of Parliament) and all state assemblies. It means holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously across the country, either on a single day or within a specific time frame.

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According to Section 2, Sub-clause 5 of the Constitution (129th) Amendment Bill, “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."

The proposed bill aims to introduce a new provision in the Constitution, alongside amendments to three existing articles, to establish a system for conducting simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

The bill seeks to insert a new Article 82A, which would mandate the synchronization of elections for the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and all state legislative assemblies. In addition, it proposes amendments to Article 83 (regarding the duration of the Houses of Parliament), Article 172 (concerning the duration of state legislatures), and Article 327 (which deals with Parliament's authority to legislate on matters related to elections for legislatures).

Following its enactment, a notification must be issued by the President on the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election. This date will be referred to as the appointed date. The Lok Sabha will have a tenure of five years, beginning from this appointed date.

Additionally, the tenure of all state assemblies formed through elections to the Legislative Assemblies held after the appointed date, but before the completion of the full term of the Lok Sabha, will end with the expiration of the full term of the Lok Sabha.

"Thereafter, all general elections to the House of the People and all Legislative Assemblies shall be held together simultaneously. 

The One Nation One Election concept of conducting simultaneous polls across the country was part of the BJP's manifesto in 2019 but drew criticism from the opposition, who have red-flagged constitutional issues.