Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday moved in the Lok Sabha the 'Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill' that seeks simultaneous Lok Sabha polls and state assembly elections. The bill was met with stiff opposition from the INDIA bloc, which called it "anti-federal."
Meghwal also tabled the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to align the elections of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and the NCT of Delhi.
The Congress led the attack against the bill during the introductory session with Manish Tewari stating it was against the basic structure as enshrined in the Constitution. Tewari also submitted a formal notice to the the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha in which he said: "My objections to the proposed Bill are based on serious concerns regarding constitutionalism and constitutionality," he stated.
He argued that this is not only a challenge to the federal framework but also erodes the autonomy of state, diminishing local democratic engagement. "It centralises power, thereby undermining the pluralism and diversity that are cornerstones of India's democratic ethos," Tewari said.
Tewari said implementing simultaneous elections would require amending Articles 83 and 172, which guarantee the fixed tenure of legislative bodies.
Kalyan Banerjee of the TMC joined Congress in opposing the bill. Banerjee said the bill violates the basic structure of the Constitution and the proposed insertion of an article is contrary to the present Constitution.
However, Meghwal, defending the bill, said the bill was in line with the Constitution and did not assault basic structure doctrine. "Objections to ONOE bills political in nature," Meghwal said.
The Law Minister also proposed that bill should be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
