as introduced in lok sabha bill no  75  of 2015 the representation of the people (amendment) bill, 2015 byshri baijayant panda, mp a billfurther to amend the representation of the people act, 1951be it enacted by parliament in the sixty-sixth year of the republic of india as follows:—1 (1) this act may be called  representation of people (amendment)  act, 2015short title and commencement43 of 19512 for section 70 of the representation of the people act, 1951, the following section shall be substituted, namely:—substitution of new section for section 70"70 if a person is elected to more than one seat in either house of parliament or in the house or in either house of the legislature of a state, then,—5election to more than one seat in either house of parliament or in the house or either house of the legislature of a state(a) if he, within the prescribed time, does not resign from all, except one of the seats, by writing under his hand addressed to the speaker or chairman, as the case may be, or to such authority or officer as may be prescribed, his election to all the seats shall be deemed to be void and, in such a situation, the election commission shall declare the runner-up candidates to be elected from such seats; and10(b) if he, within the prescribed time, resigns from all, except one seat, by writing under his hand addressed to the speaker or chairman, as the case may be, or to such authority or officer as may be prescribed, the election commission shall declare the runner-up candidates of such resigned seats, to be elected'' statement of objects and reasonsthe representation of the people act, 1951 provides for the conduct of elections to the houses of parliament and to the houses of legislature of each state section 33 of the act allows candidates to contest elections from up to two seats in either house of parliament and either house of the state legislature section 70 of the act provides that in the event that a candidate is declared elected from both seats in either house of parliament and/or either house of the legislature of a state, he or she has to resign from all except one seat, which in effect triggers bye-electionsthis provision is often used as safety-net to ensure electoral success more often than not, election of a candidate from more than one seat necessitates bye-elections the exchequer has to bear additional cost of conducting these bye-elections more importantly, the resignation of the elected candidate from all but one seat significantly affects the public moralethe bill, therefore, seeks to amend the representation of people act, 1951 with a view to provide that if a candidate is elected to  more than one seat in either house of parliament or in the house or either house of legislature of a state and resigns from all, except one seat, the candidates securing the second highest number of votes from such resigned seats shall be declared elected in the event, he does not resign from any of the elected seats, his election to all the elected seats shall be void and the candidates securing the second highest votes shall be declared elected from such seatsthe bill indirectly penalises political parties which use this provision as political insurance and at the same time seeks to prevent an additional burden on the exchequer by mitigating resultant bye-elections in effect, the bill imposes costs on political parties for taking undue advantage of the law to their benefit and, as such, is an attempt to dis-incentivise political parties from manoeuvring the system to their benefithence this billnovember 11, 2014 annexure extract  from the representation of the people  act, 1951 (act no 43 of 1951)   70 if a person is elected to more than one seat in either house of parliament or in the house or either house of the legislature of a state, then, unless within the prescribed time he resigns all but one of the seats by writing under his hand addressed to the speaker or chairman, as the case may be, or to such other authority or officer as may be prescribed, all the seats shall become vacanteelection to more than one seat in either house of parliament or in the house or either house of the legislature of a state   ———— a billfurther to amend the representation of the people act, 1951————(shri baijayant panda, mp)gmgipmrnd—4334ls(s3)—05-03-2015