Indian Parliament’s Two Simultaneous Election Bills

• Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced two bills to implement simultaneous elections in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

• Opposition members argued the legislation was “anti-federal” and tampered with the basic structure of the Constitution.

• The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced after a 90-minute debate, with 263 members voting in favor and 198 opposing it.

• The Union Territories Amendment Bill aims to align elections in Puducherry, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir with the Lok Sabha election.

• Meghwal assured that the legislation did not alter the powers enjoyed by the States, stating that principles such as judicial review, federal character, separation of powers, secular character, and supremacy of the Constitution did not change.

• He agreed to send the Bills to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.