Delhi CM Offers to Cut Assembly Term to Enable Simultaneous Polls
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday told the Joint Committee of Parliament on Bills relating to simultaneous elections that her government is willing to consider adjusting the term of the Delhi Assembly to align with that of the Lok Sabha. Describing the concept of 'One Nation One Election' as the need of the hour, she pointed out that the current Delhi Assembly term ends eight months after the Lok Sabha term, and suggested cutting it short if required.
The committee, chaired by BJP MP P P Chaudhary, conducted a study visit in the national capital, meeting the Chief Minister at the Delhi Secretariat, Speaker Vijender Gupta, representatives of political parties, and Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, Gupta said that elections in Delhi are held roughly a year apart from the Lok Sabha elections. She added that if aligning election schedules requires a suitable adjustment in Delhi's tenure, the Delhi Government is willing to consider it with a positive approach. 'If required in the national interest, Delhi could be among the leading states to extend such cooperation,' the statement quoted her as saying.
The next Lok Sabha elections are likely in April-June 2029, as the term of the House ends on June 23, 2029, while the Delhi Assembly's term ends on February 23, 2030.
Since its formation in December 2024, the committee has held consultations with stakeholders in Delhi and visited several states. Chaudhary described the meetings as productive and said they have asked the Chief Secretary to prepare a report on the impact of frequent elections on different sectors like education and labour.
While the Bills in their current form provide for the first simultaneous elections in 2034 by cutting short the terms of all Assemblies elected after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, Chaudhary earlier indicated that if some states want, they can curtail their Assembly terms to align with the 2029 elections as well.
A statement from the Assembly Secretariat said Speaker Vijender Gupta made several suggestions to the committee, including a comprehensive examination of issues related to synchronisation of electoral cycles, constructive votes of no-confidence, premature dissolution of legislatures, harmonisation of electoral rolls, strengthening logistical preparedness of the Election Commission, and institutional mechanisms to ensure political stability while preserving India's democratic and federal character.
It is learnt that during the meeting with the Speaker and MLAs, a suggestion was made to create a national forum with representation from each Legislative Assembly to discuss the way forward and extend the provisions of One Nation One Election to Rajya Sabha and municipal body elections. A source said the Speaker proposed a forum similar to the Goods and Services Tax Council to provide a common platform for representatives from legislative bodies across the country to air, discuss, and resolve disagreements related to implementation of simultaneous polls.
