Provisions as to the filling of casual vacancies in the provisional Parliament and provisional Legislatures of the States

Article 388, Constitution of India 1950

(1) Casual vacancies in the seats of members of the provisional Parliament functioning under clause (1) of article 379, including vacancies referred to in clauses (3) and (4) of that article, shall be filled, and all matters in connection with the filling of such vacancies (including the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of, or in connection with, elections to fill such vacancies) shall be regulated—

(a) in accordance with such rules as may be made in that behalf by the President, and

(b) until rules are so made, in accordance with the rules relating to the filling of casual vacancies in the Constituent Assembly of the Dominion of India and matters connected therewith in force at the time of the filling of such vacancies or immediately before the Commencement of this Constitution, as the case may be, subject to such exceptions and modifications as may be made therein before such commencement by the President of that Assembly and thereafter by the President of India:

⁠Provided that where any such seat as is mentioned in this clause was, immediately before it became vacant, held by a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or to the Muslim or the Sikh community and representing a Province or, as the case may be, a State specified in Part A of the First Schedule, the person to fill such seat shall, unless the President of the Constituent Assembly or the President of India, as the case may be, considers it necessary or expedient to provide otherwise, be of the same community:

⁠Provided further that at an election to fill any such vacancy in the seat of a member representing a Province or a State specified in Part A of the First Schedule, every member of the Legislative Assembly of that Province or of the corresponding State or of that State, as the case may be, shall be entitled to participate and vote.

⁠Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause—

(a) all such castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races of tribes as are specified in the Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936, to be Scheduled Castes in relation to any Province shall be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that Province or the corresponding State until a notification has been issued by the President under clause (1) of article 341 specifying the Scheduled Castes in relation to that corresponding State;

(b) all the Scheduled Castes in any Province or State shall be deemed to be a single community.

⁠(2) Casual vacancies in the seats of members of a House of the Legislature of a State functioning under article 382 or article 385 shall be filled, and all matters in connection with the filling of such vacancies (including the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of, or in connection with, elections to fill such vacancies) shall be regulated in accordance with such provisions governing the filling of such vacancies and regulating such matters as were in force immediately before the commencement of this Constitution subject to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order direct.