Simultaneous polls: Gains must be weighed against Constitutional concerns

The idea of holding simultaneous elections is not new for India. In fact, elections for many years after Independence were held simultaneously

On Tuesday, the Union government introduced in the Lok Sabha the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill to enable simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and the state Assemblies. A separate Bill was also introduced to enable simultaneous elections in the Union Territories with Assemblies. As expected, the Opposition, led by the Congress, weighed in against the proposed amendments, largely on the grounds that they violated the basic-structure doctrine of the Constitution and were beyond the legislative competence of the House. The Opposition also raised other objections such as additional powers envisioned in the Bill for the Election