Simultaneous Elections and the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024

 

Simultaneous Elections and the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 – A UPSC Analysis

By Suryavanshi IAS | For UPSC 2025/2026 Aspirants

📌 Introduction

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, are part of the government’s ambitious plan to implement simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. This is a significant constitutional reform aimed at reshaping India’s electoral landscape.

Let’s decode these Bills, their constitutional implications, and key concerns – important for GS-II (Polity), Essay, and Mains Answer Writing.

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🧭 Context: Why Simultaneous Elections?

From 1951 to 1967, elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies were held together. This cycle broke due to premature dissolutions of Assemblies and the Lok Sabha.

In recent years, bodies like the Law Commission, Parliamentary Committees, and a High-Level Committee chaired by Shri Ram Nath Kovind (2023) recommended simultaneous elections citing:

• Disruption caused by frequent elections

• Repeated Model Code of Conduct (MCC) restrictions

• Rising election expenditure

• Policy paralysis in governance

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⚖️ Key Provisions of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024

1. Simultaneous Elections Notification

• The President can notify the start of simultaneous elections on the first sitting of the new Lok Sabha.

• All State and UT Assemblies formed after that date will end with that Lok Sabha’s term.

• Hence, elections for Lok Sabha + State + UT Assemblies will happen together.

2. Premature Dissolution

• If any Lok Sabha or Assembly is dissolved early, the new election will be only for the remaining term.

• This keeps the five-year election cycle intact for future synchronisation.

3. Postponement of State Elections

• If the Election Commission (ECI) believes that simultaneous elections cannot be held in a State, it can recommend postponement.

• The President may order the election to be held later.

• However, that Assembly’s term will still end with the current Lok Sabha.

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🧪 Key Issues and Analysis

🔶 1. Accountability vs Stability

• Simultaneous elections promote governance stability but may compromise legislative accountability.

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar emphasized that in a parliamentary democracy, daily and periodic accountability is essential. The Executive must survive only if it enjoys the confidence of the Legislature.

🔶 2. Short-Term Legislatures – A Governance Concern

• Assemblies might function for less than a year in some cases. This disrupts:

  • Continuity in governance

  • Long-term policymaking

  • Bureaucratic effectiveness

• Example: A state holding elections in 2033 for <1 year, just to sync with 2034 simultaneous elections.

🔶 3. Postponement Without Safeguards

• The Bill lowers the threshold for postponement of elections.

• Article 356 currently allows delay only in extreme cases (Emergency, President’s Rule + ECI certification).

• The new Bill allows postponement based only on ECI recommendation – no need for Parliament’s ratification.

🔶 4. Absence of Time Limit on Postponement

• No upper limit for how long elections can be deferred.

• Could leave a state without an Assembly, raising questions:

  • Who governs during this time?

  • Is it under President’s Rule or a caretaker government?

  • What is the democratic legitimacy?

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📊 Financial and Logistical Arguments

✅ Proponents argue:

• Reduced expenditure (ECI estimated ~Rs 4,500 crore for Lok Sabha & Assembly elections)

• Lower burden on security and administrative machinery

• Improved governance flow

❌ Critics point out:

• ECI data suggests the election cost is just 0.03% of GDP

• MCC does not halt existing projects, only new populist schemes

• Long polling phases are administrative, not constitutional issues

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🌍 Global Precedents

• Sweden: Interim Parliament runs only for the remainder of a 4-year term. No early elections since 1971.

• Belgium: Simultaneous elections with the EU Parliament. In 2018, a caretaker government was continued to avoid premature elections.

🔎 India lacks experience with frequent short-term legislatures, raising questions about:

• Voter motivation

• Policy continuity

• Administrative readiness

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📚 UPSC Mains Answer Writing Points

Intro (Context):

• Link to governance, cost, and policy paralysis.

Body:

• Pros (governance stability, cost reduction)

• Cons (short-term governments, democratic deficit, MCC overstated)

• Constitutional angle (Article 83, 172, 356)

• Quotes: B.R. Ambedkar, Law Commission, Standing Committee.

Conclusion:

• “While electoral reforms are necessary, they must ensure that stability does not come at the cost of democratic accountability.”

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