Srinagar- The Union Government is set to introduce a significant bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, aiming to amend The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act-2019 as part of its push to align the region’s electoral cycle with the “One Nation, One Election” initiative.
The amendment, which will be presented by Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal, will also affect other legislative frameworks, including the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, to synchronize elections in Puducherry and Delhi with the Lok Sabha polls.
The amendment will notably adjust the term of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, ensuring its alignment with the term of the Lok Sabha. Under the new bill, the J&K Assembly’s term shall come to an end when the Lok Sabha’s full term concludes, paving the way for simultaneous elections.
This change will come into effect on an “appointed date,” which will be notified by the President after the first sitting of the Lok Sabha following a general election. Since the first sitting of the 2024 Lok Sabha has already occurred, the earliest that the appointed date for simultaneous elections can be notified will be during the first sitting of the 2029 Lok Sabha. Consequently, the first simultaneous elections in Jammu and Kashmir could be held by 2034 when the current Lok Sabha term concludes.
The bill clarifies that it will not affect the current five-year term of the J&K Assembly. In cases where the Assembly is dissolved before completing its term, midterm elections will only be held for the remainder of its five-year term.
In cases of premature dissolution, the remaining period of the original term will be treated as the unexpired term, with any new Assembly formed during this time serving only the remainder of that period. Furthermore, the new Assembly will not be considered a continuation of the dissolved Assembly.
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