PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 241
been incorporated in a single Statute, so that hon. Members would have had the facility of carrying one single Statute covering all matters affecting the representation of the people in the Central Legislature as well as in the State Legislatures. But, unfortunately, it was not possible to do so, because it would have taken a very long time, it was felt better to cut up the matter into two parts, that is to say, to provide for the constituencies, for the voters’ qualifications and so on, in an earlier measure, so that the Election Commission would have been in a position to start work with a view to putting through the elections by April or May. That was the reason why a certain part of the matter which was, so to say, integral with matters contained in this Bill were severed and put into an earlier piece of legislation.
Now, Sir, as I have said, the present Bill deals with five matters. I am sure the House will not expect me to go over the whole gamut of the provisions relating to each of these five parts. I will take up certain important provisions which I am sure the House will be interested to know at this stage.
Now, first of all, I will take up the question of the qualifications and disqualifications for candidates. So far as the elections for candidates is concerned, we do not impose any additional qualification except that he must be a voter, that is to say, he must be a citizen, he must be of 21 years’ age and must have resided in a particular constituency for the qualifying period. Every voter will, therefore be entitled to stand as a candidate without requiring to fulfil any additional qualification. One other matter to which I would like to draw attention in this connection is this, that in the present Bill we have removed all residential qualifications. At one time, hon. Members will remember, that a candidate was not only required to be a voter, but was also required to be a resident in that particular constituency. Otherwise, he could not stand. It was felt that in view of the fact that we are now a united people under one single Constitution, recognising no barriers of caste, creed, community or provincial