New Delhi:

 The Law Commission may submit its report on simultaneous polls to the government next week in which it could recommend adding a new chapter to the Constitution on ‘one nation, one election’ and holding the gigantic democratic exercise for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies across the country by mid-2029.

According to sources, the Commission, under Justice (retd) Ritu Raj Awasthi, would recommend an amendment to the Constitution to add the “new chapter or part” on simultaneous elections.

The panel would also recommend synchronising the terms of legislative assemblies in “three phases” in the next five years so that the first simultaneous polls could be held in May-June 2029 when elections for the 19th Lok Sabha are due, they said.

The new chapter in the Constitution would include issues related to “simultaneous election”, “sustainability of simultaneous elections” and “common electoral roll” for Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, panchayats and municipalities so that the three-tier simultaneous polls could be held together “in one go”, the sources explained.

The new chapter being recommended will have power of non-extant” to override other provisions in the Constitution dealing with terms of assemblies.

The five-year period in which the terms of assemblies will be synchronised will be spread over three phases. The Commission would recommend that the first phase may deal with state assemblies whose period will have to be curtailed by a few months — three or six months.

In case a government falls due to no confidence or if there is a hung House, the Commission would recommend constitution of a “unity government” with representatives from various political parties.

In case the unity government formula does not work, the law panel would recommend holding fresh elections for the remainder of the term of the House.

“Suppose fresh elections are called for and the government still has three years, then polls should be for the remainder of the term — three years — to ensure sustainability,” a source explained.

Besides the Law Commission, a high-level committee under former president Ram Nath Kovind is also working on a report on how simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, municipalities and panchayats can be held by tweaking the Constitution and the existing legal framework.

It is likely to incorporate recommendation of the law panel in its report.

Along with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May this year, elections for at least four assemblies are likely to take place, while state polls for Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are expected later this year.

Bihar and Delhi are scheduled for assembly polls next year, while Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala are scheduled for 2026, and Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur in 2027.

As many as nine states may have assembly polls scheduled for 2028 — Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Karnataka, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Former chief election commissioner Manohar Singh Gill died at a south Delhi hospital on Sunday after a brief illness, according to people close to him. He was 86.

MS Gill will be cremated in New Delhi on Monday, they said.

A former bureaucrat, Gill served under Parkash Singh Badal as a young officer when the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch was the Punjab chief minister.

He served as the chief election commissioner (CEC) between December 1996 and June 2001.

Gill and GVG Krishnamurty were made members of the Election Commission when TN Seshan was heading the poll panel. It was then that the poll panel became a multi-member body, a former government functionary said.

He is perhaps the first former CEC to have joined politics. Gill entered the Rajya Sabha as a Congress member and was made the Union sports minister in 2008.

Gill is survived by his wife and three daughters.

In a statement, the Election Commission said it deeply mourns the demise of Gill, its 11th chief election commissioner, describing him as a “brilliant officer of the 1958 batch of the Indian Administrative Services, Punjab cadre”.

“During his tenure as CEC, the ECI successfully conducted the general elections to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and 13th Lok Sabha in 1999; 11th presidential elections and vice-presidential elections in 1997, and general elections to legislative assemblies in more than 20 states,” the poll panel said.

“His leadership and commitment to the electoral process will continue to inspire us at the Election Commission of India. Shri Gill was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in the year 2000 for his exceptional and distinguished services as a civil servant. We pray for the noble departed soul and convey our profound condolences,” it added.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge condoled Gill’s demise and lauded his contribution to the development of the nation.

“Extremely saddened at the passing away of former Union minister, Padma Vibhushan, Shri Manohar Singh Gill ji,” Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X.

Extremely saddened at the passing away of Former Union Minister, Padma Vibhushan, Shri Manohar Singh Gill Ji.

As a valued colleague in the UPA Govt and earlier as a civil servant, his contributions to development of the nation in varied fields like sports, electoral processes… pic.twitter.com/i2L5GCpS3B

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 15, 2023

“As a valued colleague in the UPA govt and earlier as a civil servant, his contributions to the development of the nation in varied fields like sports, electoral processes and agriculture were long lasting,” he added.

Kharge also extended his “deepest condolences” to the family, friends and followers of the former Union minister.

“I pray to the Almighty for his eternal peace,” he added.

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also expressed his sadness at Gill’s passing.

“Saddened to hear about the passing away of former CEC and Union Minister Dr Manohar Singh Gill. My heartfelt condolences are with his family and I pray to Waheguru ji to grant eternal peace to the departed soul,” he said in a post.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)