Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi raised concerns about loopholes in the simultaneous elections Bill.
He warned against giving the Election Commission (EC) unrestricted powers to decide election schedules.
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, empowers the EC to conduct simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
Section 82 A(5) allows the EC to recommend delaying Assembly elections without setting a deadline, granting arbitrary powers.
Gogoi suggested amending the Bill to prevent unchecked authority for the EC.
Example from 1991: Congress MP Manish Tewari cited the delayed Punjab elections in 1991, showing the EC’s lack of machinery for such decisions.
Former CJI U.U. Lalit pointed out that the Bill might not withstand a legal challenge due to several flaws.
The parliamentary panel will launch a website to collect public feedback after concerns about the previous committee's response tally.
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