The Central government has postponed the introduction of two key Bills aimed at enabling simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, sources said on Sunday.
Initially listed for Monday, the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, are now expected to be introduced later this week, likely on Tuesday, according to The Indian Express.
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The revised agenda for the Lok Sabha on Monday instead prioritises discussions and voting on supplementary demands for grants for 2024-25, along with the introduction and passing of appropriation Bills by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
In the Rajya Sabha, discussions on 75 years of the Constitution are scheduled to begin on Monday, sources said.
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Both Bills, approved by the Union Cabinet last week, are based on recommendations by the High-Level Committee on One Nation One Election, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. They aim to facilitate simultaneous elections by proposing an “appointed date,” after which the terms of all Legislative Assemblies elected would align with the Lok Sabha’s tenure.
The proposal, if implemented, would require the President to notify the appointed date following the first sitting of the newly-elected Lok Sabha. Assemblies elected after that date would see their terms curtailed to coincide with the Lok Sabha’s.