What Does the Jamili Election Bill Propose?

On Tuesday, the Central Government introduced two bills in the Lok Sabha related to simultaneous elections, also known as the Jamili Elections. The first is a constitutional amendment bill to revise the tenures of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, while the second pertains to elections in Delhi and Union Territories.

Key Articles and Amendments Proposed

The 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024, aims to introduce simultaneous elections by amending three articles and adding a new Article 82A.

Six Clauses Under Article 82A

1. Article 82A(1):
   Once the Jamili Bill is passed, the President must notify this clause after the first Lok Sabha is constituted following the general elections. The notified date will be deemed the "appointed day."

2. Article 82A(2):
   After the appointed day, the tenure of all state assemblies formed thereafter will align with the tenure of the Lok Sabha. This may involve reducing or extending the tenures of state assemblies to match the Lok Sabha.

3. Article 82A(3):
   The Election Commission (EC) will oversee the conduct of simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies.

4. Article 82A(4):
   This clause defines simultaneous elections, emphasizing the aim of holding concurrent elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

5. Article 82A(5):
   In exceptional situations where simultaneous elections cannot be conducted, the EC has the flexibility to manage elections for any Assembly separately.

6. Article 82A(6):
   Assemblies elected separately but at different times will still have their tenures end alongside the corresponding Lok Sabha.

Proposed Amendments to Key Articles

1. Article 83:

   • The Lok Sabha's tenure is five years, as specified in the first clause.
   • If the Lok Sabha is dissolved early, the remaining term is considered as "unexpired term" (Clause 2).
   • A mid-term election will constitute a new Lok Sabha for the remainder of the term (Clause 3).
   • The Lok Sabha formed through mid-term elections will end its term along with the original five-year schedule (Clause 4).
   • General elections must be held after the completion of the five-year term (Clause 5).

2. Article 172:

   • Similar to Article 83 for the Lok Sabha, this article governs the tenure of State Assemblies.
   • The tenure of Assemblies will be synchronized with the Lok Sabha.

3. Article 327:

   • This article allows Parliament to decide electoral matters such as electoral rolls and delimitation of constituencies for State Assemblies.

Implications of the Jamili Bill

• The bill seeks to streamline the election process by aligning the tenures of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
• It aims to reduce the frequent electoral cycle and bring administrative efficiency.
• Provisions for exceptional cases allow flexibility in managing unforeseen circumstances.

The official notification and additional details about this bill are expected to follow shortly.