Bill defines Union Territory Assembly term as five years from first meeting

The goal is to enable simultaneous elections for the Union Territories and the central parliament, as recommended by a High Level Committee.

Who it concerns: The Bill affects the Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories, specifically those governed by 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.

What the bill does

• Defines the 'full term' of a Legislative Assembly as five years from its first meeting.
• Mandates that for elections held after the appointed date under Article 82A of the Constitution, the Assembly's term ends when the House of the People's term expires.
• Defines 'unexpired term' as the period between an early dissolution and the end of the House of the People's term.
• Specifies that if an Assembly is dissolved early, the newly elected Assembly serves only for the unexpired term of the previous Assembly.
• States that a new Assembly formed after early dissolution is not a continuation of the previous one and all consequences of dissolution apply to the previous Assembly.

Also in the document

• The Bill is based on recommendations from a High Level Committee chaired by former President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, submitted on 14th March 2024.
• It is part of a first-stage implementation of simultaneous elections for the House of the People and all Legislative Assemblies.
• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 12th December 2024 by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal.