| The Constitution (Nineteenth Amendment) Act, 1966 | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of India | |
| |
| Citation | 19th Amendment |
| Territorial extent | India |
| Passed by | Lok Sabha |
| Passed | 22 November 1966 |
| Passed by | Rajya Sabha |
| Passed | 30 November 1966 |
| Assented to | 11 December 1966 |
| Commenced | 11 December 1966 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: Lok Sabha | |
| Bill title | Constitution (Twenty-first Amendment) Bill, 1966 |
| Introduced by | Gopal Swarup Pathak |
| Introduced | 29 August 1966 |
| Related legislation | |
| Representation of the People Act, 1951 | |
| Summary | |
| Abolished Election Tribunals and enabled trial of election petitions by High Courts | |
| Status: In force | |
The Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as The Constitution (Nineteenth Amendment) Act, 1966, abolished Election Tribunals in India and enabled trial of election petitions by High Courts. It amended clause (1) of article 324 of the Constitution, which provides for vesting of the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections with the Election Commission. The 19th Amendment removed the provision relating to the power of "the appointment of election tribunals for the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with elections to Parliament and to the Legislatures of States".
Provisions for the trial of election petitions by High Courts instead of the election tribunals, was provided for by amending the Representation of the People Act, 1951.