Simultaneous elections promise efficiency but test federalism. Critically evaluate the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to hold Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections together. The President would notify an "appointed date", and every Assembly formed after it would end with that Lok Sabha's term [1]. The Bill builds on the Kovind High-Level Committee report [2]. It offers real gains in governance, but as drafted it weakens federal safeguards.

Promise of efficiency

• Policy continuity: Fewer Model Code of Conduct periods would reduce the "governance deficit" that the Law Commission linked to governments avoiding policy decisions before polls [1].
• Broad support: 32 of 47 political parties, and about 80% of over 21,500 public responses, favoured simultaneous elections [2].
• Phased rollout: Lok Sabha and Assembly polls would come first, with local-body polls within 100 days [2]. This helps plan the deployment of EVMs and security forces.
• Precedent: Elections were largely held together from 1951 to 1967, until early dissolutions broke the cycle.

Test of federalism

• Shortened mandates: After an early dissolution, a fresh election covers only the remainder of the term, which could be less than a year [1]. This dilutes the voter's five-year mandate.
• Article 82A(5): The ECI can recommend deferring a State's election with no time limit [1]. Postponing elections today needs parliamentary approval, so the Bill lowers the threshold [1].
• National issues crowding out local ones: Holding all polls together may let national campaigns overshadow State issues. This weakens federalism, which S.R. Bommai (1994) held to be part of the basic structure.
• Weak cost case: Direct government spending on elections was only 0.02–0.05% of GDP between 1957 and 2014 [1].
• Stability vs accountability: Ambedkar chose an accountable executive over a merely stable one [1]. A fixed cycle favours stability.

Way forward

• Set a time limit on deferring State elections and require parliamentary approval for any deferral.
• Reduce early dissolutions through a constructive vote of no-confidence (Germany) or a caretaker government (Belgium, 2018) [1].
• Consult States widely, in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Overall, the Bill pursues a sound goal, but its drafting shifts the balance towards the Centre. If the Joint Parliamentary Committee tightens the deferral clause and adds safeguards for States, simultaneous elections can deliver efficiency while respecting the federal and accountable democracy the Constitution guarantees.