ONOE bill has provision for situation where assembly poll can’t be held with LS election

New Delhi: THE bill which seeks to put in place a mechanism to hold simultaneous elections in the country has a provision for situations when election to an assembly cannot be held with those of Parliament.

The constitution amendment bill, which is expected to be brought in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, said the president can issue an order that polls of an assembly which cannot go to elections with the Lok Sabha can go for the democratic exercise later.

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 bill seeks to insert a new article in the Constitution and amend three articles to put in place the mechanism to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The bill proposes to insert a new article 82A — simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and all legislative assemblies and to amend Article 83 (Duration of Houses of Parliament), Article 172 (Duration of State Legislatures) and Article 327 (power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures).