Srinagar, Dec 17 :
In a significant move, the Union Government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend “The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019” for integration of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory’s Assembly poll cycle with Lok Sabha polls.
According to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal today introduced The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill-2024 for amending the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
While the amendments in the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 have been proposed respectively for integration of assembly polls of Puducherry and Delhi with Lok Sabha polls, the amendments in J&K Reorganisation Act- 2019 will align J&K’s electoral cycle with Lok Sabha polls as part of Union Government’s “one nation, one election” initiative.”
After being introduced in the House today, both the Constitution( One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and ‘The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussion.
According to the changes proposed in J&K Reorganization Act-2019, the five-year period from the date of the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly shall be referred to as the full-term of the Legislative Assembly.
It further states that term of the Legislative Assembly shall come to an end on the expiry of the full term of Lok Sabha after the President of India notifies the appointed day for implementation of the “one nation, one election” law.
According to the bill, simultaneous elections would come into effect on an “appointed date” to be notified by the President on the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election.
Since the first sitting of the Lok Sabha elected in 2024 has already taken place, the earliest the appointed date for simultaneous elections can be notified is the first sitting of the House elected in the 2029 elections. This means that simultaneous polls could be held by 2034, when the full term of that House ends.
It becomes clear now that the bill would not affect the existing five-year term of J&K Assembly which started from October 08, 2024. However, it would cut short the tenure of the UT’s next assembly by six months in 2034.
According to the bill, in case the J & K Assembly gets dissolved before completing its five-year full term, the mid-term election would be held only for the remaining period of five years—(KNO)