While the Election Commission has supported simultaneous polls, it has also given significant riders, reported Times of India. Not less than five Articles of the Constitution may need amendments in order for this to successfully happen, according to an internal note of the Union law ministry accessed by TOI after getting advice from the EC.
Article 83, dealing with the duration of the Houses of Parliament, may need to be amended, reported TOI. Article 85 regarding dissolution of Lok Sabha by the President, Article 172 relating to duration of state legislatures, Article 174 relating to dissolution of state Assemblies and Article 356 may be amended as well. This is to ensure that Lok Sabha and state assemblies complete their full terms and are not disrupted by political uncertainty.
In order to avoid premature dissolution, it may be provided that any ‘no-confidence motion’ moved against the government in office should also necessarily include a further ‘confidence motion’ in favour of a government to be headed by a named individual as the future PM and voting should take place for two motions together.EC, as reported by TOI
“Additional EVMs/VVPATs worth about Rs 2,000 crore will be required. Considering that the life of a machine is only 15 years, this will imply that the machine be used about three or four times in its lifespan, entailing a huge expenditure in its replacement after every 15 years,” the EC reportedly said.
The government had sought the Election Commission’s views in response to a private member’s bill in Rajya Sabha.
"The EC has examined the issue and supported the idea of simultaneous elections," a source told TOI.
(With inputs from Times Of India)
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