Law Commission Working On Formula For Simultaneous Polls from 2029: Report

Simultaneous elections are unlikely to take place in 2024, according India Today reports. The Law Commission believes that implementing the 'One Nation, One Election' system before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be logistically challenging.

The Law Commission's report on simultaneous elections is expected to be released prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Justice Rituraj Awasthi, the Chairman of the Law Commission, mentioned on Wednesday that the report would take some time due to ongoing work related to simultaneous elections.

The report will propose constitutional amendments to introduce simultaneous elections in India, with a specific focus on the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.

In December 2022, the 22nd Law Commission formulated a series of questions seeking feedback from stakeholders, including national political parties, the Election Commission of India, bureaucrats, academics, and experts regarding the proposal for concurrent elections in the country. The Commission's report is anticipated to be published before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and will be submitted to the Union Law Ministry.

In 2018, the 21st Law Commission submitted a draft report to the Union Law Ministry, asserting that holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies would lead to cost savings, reduced burden on administrative structures and security forces, and improved implementation of government policies. However, it also emphasized that implementing simultaneous elections within the existing constitutional framework would be challenging. The Commission recommended amending pertinent provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to enable the consolidation of all by-elections occurring within one calendar period.