Bill on simultaneous polls unconstitutional: A.M. Singhvi

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) told the Parliament’s joint committee on reviewing legislation on simultaneous elections that any law seeking to subordinate the State election cycle to the Centre’s and artificially truncating the Parliament’s tenure violated the basic structure of the Constitution, according to informed sources.

He was addressing the Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty–Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, headed by BJP leader and Lok Sabha member P.P. Chaudhary. Rarely is a sitting parliamentarian called to depose before the committee.

According to the sources, Mr. Singhvi’s presentation that lasted for an hour, was followed by over 90-minute discussion. 

Three accounts

His criticism of the Bills was broadly centred on three accounts. One, Mr. Singhvi argued, seeks to subordinate the State election cycle to the Parliamentary elections, which is a violation of the federal principle and thereby the basic structure of the Constitution. Under the model recommended by the Ramnath Kovind-chaired high-level committee, Mr. Singhvi said several States would suffer drastic curtailment of their tenures.

Second, by seeking to reset the parliamentary election cycle by artificially truncating its tenure, the Bill violates the will of the people, which is the building block of any democracy.

He also pointed out a key infirmity in the Bill. The sources said, Mr. Singhvi pointed out that such legislation could not be passed without ratification from more than half of State legislatures. Additionally, he said interference with the State Assembly election cycle would also indirectly impact the shape of the Rajya Sabha.

Instead of the proposed legislation, Mr. Singhvi, as per sources, contended that the government should consider reducing the duration of elections which would also directly reduce the term of the Model Code of Conduct. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have argued that governance is impacted because of extended periods of imposition of model code of conduct for the elections. In 2024, the elections were conducted in seven phases over six weeks, while in 2019 the elections were conducted in 7 phases over 7 weeks.

To a specific question raised by Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on how will simultaneous elections impact the regional parties, the sources said, Mr. Singhvi quoted the Ramnath Kovind committee report, which had conceded that in majority of cases, the political party that wins at the Centre would also be better placed to win in the States.