Elections in India
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India has a parliamentary system as defined by its constitution, with power distributed between the union government and the states. India's democracy is the largest democracy in the world.[1]
The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of the country and supreme commander-in-chief for all defense forces in India. However, it is the Prime Minister of India, who is the leader of the party or political alliance having a majority in the national elections to the Lok Sabha (Lower house of the Parliament). The Prime Minister is the leader of the legislative branch of the Government of India. The Prime Minister is the chief adviser to the President of India and the head of the Union Council of Ministers.
India is regionally divided into States (and Union Territories) and each State has a Governor who is the state's head, but the executive authority rests with the Chief Minister who is the leader of the party or political alliance that has won a majority in the regional elections otherwise known as State Assembly Elections that exercises executive powers in that State. The respective State's Chief Minister has executive powers within the State and works jointly with the Prime Minister of India or their ministers on matters that require both State and Central attention. Some Union Territories also elect an Assembly and have a territorial government and other (mainly smaller) Union Territories are governed by an administrator/lieutenant governor appointed by the President of India.
The President of India monitors the rule of law through their appointed governors in each State and on their recommendation can take over the executive powers from the Chief Minister of the State, temporarily when the elected representatives of the State government have failed to create a peaceful environment and has deteriorated into chaos. The President of India dissolves the existing State government if necessary, and a new election is conducted.
India has the history of a nation where people didn't have the need of fighting for universal franchise. Universal voting rights were given to all male and female with the constitution itself.
Election Commission of India
[edit]The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous authority of India which is enacted under the provisions of the Constitution, responsible for monitoring and administering Union and State election processes in India. This body is responsible for ensuring elections are free and fair, without any bias.It derived its powers from A 324 of the constitution [2]
The ECI, established as a permanent Constitutional Body, is entrusted by the Constitution with the superintendence, direction, and control of the entire electoral process for Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President of India.
Election ensures the conduct of members pre-elections, during elections, and post-elections are as per the statutory legislation.
All election-related disputes are handled by the Election Commission. The Supreme Court of India has held that where the enacted laws are silent or make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of elections, the Election Commission has the residuary powers under the Constitution to act as appropriate.The first chief election Commissioner was Sukumar Sen.
The elections for the President and Vice President of India, the Rajya Sabha (council of states) and Lok Sabha (house of the people), State Legislative Assemblies (including Union territories of jammu and kashmir ,Delhi and Puducherry), and State Legislative Councils are conducted by the Election Commission of India.
State Election Commissions
[edit]The State Election Commission (SEC) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering elections to the 3rd tier of governance i.e. the Local Government, which includes the Panchayati Raj Institutions and the Urban Local Bodies. As per the constitutional provision, 'superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of Elections to Urban & Rural Local bodies vest in State Election Commission.
State Election Commission consists of a State Election Commissioner, who is appointed by the Governor for a fixed tenure of 5 years and cannot be removed from his office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court.
The elections to local self-government institutions, such as panchayats and municipalities, are conducted by the respective State Election Commissions (SECs).[3]
Types of elections
[edit]Elections in the Republic of India include elections for
- President of India,
- Vice President of India,
- Members of the Parliament in Rajya Sabha (Upper house) and Lok Sabha (Lower house),
- Members of State Legislative Councils,
- Members of State Legislative Assemblies (includes legislative assemblies of three union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Puducherry)
- Members of local governance bodies (Municipal bodies and Panchayats),
- By-election is held when a seat-holder of a particular constituent dies, resigns, or is disqualified.
Parliamentary general elections (Lok Sabha)
[edit]Members of Lok Sabha (House of the People) or the lower house of India's Parliament are elected by being voted upon by all adult citizens of India, who crossed 18 years from a set of candidates who contest in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the Lok Sabha elections are called 'Member of Parliament' and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the President on the advice of the council of ministers. The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi, on matters relating to the creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens of India. Elections take place once in 5 years to elect 543 members for the Lok Sabha (Lower house).[4]
History of Lok Sabha elections
[edit]State Assembly elections
[edit]Members of State Legislative Assembly, are elected directly by voting, from a set of candidates who contest in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the State Legislative Assemblies elections are called 'Member of Legislative Assembly' (MLA) and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the Governor. The house meets in the respective state, on matters relating to the creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens living in that state.
The total strength of each assembly depends on each State, mostly based on size and population. Similar to the Lok Sabha elections, the leader of the majority party/alliance takes oath as Chief Minister of the State.
The Election Commission conducts the elections and provides voluntary facility to 80 years plus aged electors to vote through ballot papers at their homes depending upon polling booth accessibility. Elections are taken up enthusiastically by major portion of the population who turn out in high numbers. For example, An 83-year-old woman, Dolma, cast her vote at Chasak Bhatori polling station in Pangi area of Chamba district after covering 14 kilometers walking on a snowy road during 2022 assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.[9]
Prior to the much awaited Lok Sabha election in 2024, the state assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana are an important political event. November 7 and November 17 are the scheduled dates for Chhattisgarh's elections, while Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Telangana will hold their votes on November 17, November 23, and November 30, respectively. The political climate before the national elections is anticipated to be shaped by the outcomes of these elections, which are anticipated to be declared on December 3. Key political players in these states are diverse and competing for domination, such as the Indian National Congress (INC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and other regional parties. These states differ in the quantity of assembly seats they have; Chhattisgarh has ninety [10]seats.
By-election
[edit]When an elected candidate to either the State Assembly or Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha leaves the office vacant before their term ends, a by-election is conducted to find a suitable replacement to fill the vacant position. It is often referred to in India as Bypolls.
Common reasons for by-elections:
- Resignation by the sitting MP or MLA
- Death of the sitting MP or MLA
But other reasons occur when the incumbent becomes ineligible to continue in office (criminal conviction, failure to maintain a minimum level of attendance in the office, due to election irregularities found later, or when a candidate wins more than one seat and has to vacate one).
Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Elections
[edit]The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, is the upper house of India's Parliament. Candidates are not elected directly by the citizens, but by the Members of Legislative Assemblies and up to 13 can be nominated by the President of India for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. Members of the Parliament in Rajya Sabha get a tenure of six years, with one-third of the body facing re-election every two years. Rajya Sabha acts as a second-level review body before a bill becomes an act.[12]
The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who presides over its sessions.
The Legislative proposals (making new laws, removing or appending new conditions to the existing law) are brought before either house of the Parliament in the form of a bill. A bill is the draft of a legislative proposal, which, when passed by both houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and assented to by the President, becomes an Act of Parliament.
The Constitution of India, however, places some restrictions on the Rajya Sabha which makes the Lok Sabha more powerful in certain areas. For example, it stipulates that Money bills must originate in the Lok Sabha.
Members of Rajya Sabha debate bills sent by the Lok Sabha and can approve, reject or send the bill back to the Lok Sabha for further debate and discussion on the matter, as well as to suggest better changes in the drafted bill. Members of the Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations to the Lok Sabha for money bills within 14 days. If the Rajya Sabha fails to return the money bill in 14 days to the Lok Sabha, that bill is deemed to have passed by both the Houses. Also, if the Lok Sabha rejects any (or all) of the amendments proposed by the Rajya Sabha, the bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament of India in the form in which the Lok Sabha finally passes it.
Electoral procedures
[edit]Candidates are required to file their nomination papers with the Electoral Commission. Then, a list of candidates is published. No party is allowed to use government resources for campaigning. No party is allowed to bribe the candidates before elections. The government cannot start a project during the election period. Campaigning ends by 6:00 pm two days before the polling day.
The polling is held between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. The Collector of each district is in charge of polling. Government employees are employed as poll officers at the polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are being used instead of ballot boxes to prevent election fraud. After the citizen votes, his or her left index finger is marked with indelible ink. This practice was instituted in 1962.
Vote from home
[edit]The Election Commission of India has granted permission for individuals aged 80 and above and those with physical challenges to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes using ballot papers.[13] To avail of this facility, eligible individuals must register with the designated booth-level officer at least 10 days prior to the election date. The necessary Form 12-D for facilitating the postal ballot has been submitted well in advance A dedicated team of five officers, including a polling officer, micro observer, police officer, and photographer, will visit their residences to ensure a smooth and transparent polling process. The entire polling procedure will be documented through photographs and videos. While the option to vote from home is voluntary, the decision cannot be reversed later once an elector chooses this method. Election officials in Bhopal, India, are actively reaching out to the residences of super senior citizens (aged above 80 years) and voters with disabilities to provide assistance in submitting their votes through postal ballots for 2023 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections. [14]
In the 2024 lok sabha elections, ECI extended the "vote-from-home" option to people aged 85 years and above, and to Persons with Disabilities (PwD), for the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha elections. The goal of this move is to improve participation and accessibility in the electoral process.[15][16]
Indelible ink
[edit]
Research into indelible ink was commenced by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In the 1950s, M. L. Goel worked on this research at the Chemical Division of the National Physical Laboratory of India. The ink used contains silver nitrate, which makes it photo-sensitive. It is stored in amber-colored plastic or brown-colored glass bottles. On application, the ink remains on the fingernail for at least two days. It may last up to a month, depending on the person's body temperature and the environment.
Electronic voting
[edit]
BHAVIK (EVM) were first used in the 1997 election and became the only method of voting in 2004. The EVMs save time in reporting results. A voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) was introduced on 14 August 2014 in Nagaland.[17] In the 2014 general election, VVPAT was operational in 8 constituencies (Lucknow, Gandhinagar, Bangalore South, Chennai Central, Jadavpur, Raipur, Patna Sahib and Mizoram) as a pilot project.[18][19] A slip generated by the VVPAT tells a voter to which party or candidate their vote has been given, their name, their constituency and their polling booth.[20][21][22][23][24]
Opposition parties demanded that VVPAT be made mandatory all over India due to allegations against the government of hacking the EVM. Accordingly, Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) and EVMs were used in every assembly and the general election in India since 2019.[25][26] On 9 April 2019, Supreme Court of India gave the judgement, ordering the Election Commission of India to increase the VVPAT slips vote count to five randomly selected EVMs per assembly constituency, which means the Election Commission of India has to count VVPAT slips of 20,625 EVMs in the 2019 General elections.[27][28][29] VVPAT enables voters to cross-check whether the vote they have given goes to their desired candidate as the VVPAT unit produces a paper slip, additionally called a ballot slip, that contains the name, serial number, and image of the candidate selected by the voter for his vote. Post the 2019 general election, ECI declared that no mismatches between EVM and VVPAT.[30]
NOTA
[edit]On 27 September 2013, the Supreme Court of India judged that citizens have the right to cast a negative vote by exercising the "None of the above" (NOTA) option. This was the result of petitioning by the Electoral Commission and the People's Union for Civil Liberties in 2009. In November 2013, NOTA was introduced in five state elections. Even if the number of electors opting for NOTA option is more than the number of votes polled by any of the candidates, the candidate who secures the largest number of votes has to be declared elected.[31]
Absentee voting
[edit]India does not provide general absentee voting.[32][33] On 24 November 2010, the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 2010 was gazetted to give voting rights to non-resident Indians but a physical presence at the voting booth is still required.[34][35]
Postal voting
[edit]Postal voting in India is done only through the "Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers (ETPB)" system of Election Commission of India, where ballot papers are distributed to the registered eligible voters and they return the votes by post. When the counting of votes commences, these postal votes are counted before those from the Electronic Voting Machines. Only certain categories of people are eligible to register as postal voters. People working in the Union armed forces and state police as well as their spouses, and employees working for the Government of India who are officially posted abroad can register for the postal vote, these are also called the "Service voters". Additionally, people in preventive detention, disabled and those above the age of 80 years old can use postal vote. Prisoners can not vote at all.[36][37][38]
See also
[edit]- 49-O Now replaced with 'NOTA (None of The Above)'
- Booth capturing
- History of democracy in the Indian-subcontinent
- Gopala I
- Election Commission of India
- Exercise Franchise For Good Governance
- Legislative Assembly elections in India
- British India - General Elections
- British India - Provincial Elections
References
[edit]- ^ Richetta, Cécile; Harbers, Imke; van Wingerden, Enrike (2023). "The subnational electoral coercion in India (SECI) data set, 1985–2015" (PDF). Electoral Studies. 85. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102662. ISSN 0261-3794.
- ^ "A Constitutional Body". Election Commission of India.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Role of SEC- State Election Commission, Maharashtra". mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "Terms of the Houses". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ "Lok Sabha Election Results 1951-2004". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Lok Sabha Election Results 2009". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "General Election 2014". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "General Election 2019 (Including Vellore PC)". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Assembly elections 2022: 66% voter turnout in Himachal Pradesh, world's highest booth sees 100% polling | Himachal-Pradesh Election News". The Times of India. 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Assembly elections in 5 states explained in 4 charts". 9 October 2023.
- ^ "43. India/Tripura (1949-present)". University of Central Arkansas. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "Rajya Sabha Election 2017: Here Is How Members Are Elected To Upper House". NDTV.com. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "EC provides facility to voters above 80 years of age & Divyanga to vote from home". News On AIR - News Services Division. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ Ayub, Jamal (8 November 2023). "Vote From Home: Madhya Pradesh Polling Stations Come To The Doorstep For Elderly & Disabled". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ Kalia, Saumya (23 March 2024). "All about the vote-from-home facility in the Lok Sabha elections | Explained". The Hindu.
- ^ "ECI walks the extra mile to reach at the doorstep of elderly and PwD voters". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "EC Decides to use VVPAT System at Bye-Election in Nagaland" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ^ References:
- "EVM-paper trail introduced in 8 of 543 constituencies". dna. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- Press Trust of India (29 April 2014). "LS polls: Voters to get 'automated-receipts' at Gandhinagar". Business Standard India. Business-standard.com. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- Staff Reporter (4 April 2014). "VVPAT machine to be on demonstration for 10 days". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- "VVPAT to be introduced in Jadavpur constituency". Indiatvnews.com. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- Patna Sahib electorate can see who they voted for - The Times of India
- "EVM slip will help verify your vote". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- 400 EVMs on standby for Patna Sahib, Pataliputra
- "VVPAT to Debut in B'lore South". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- T. Ramakrishnan (April 2014). "Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail system comes to Chennai". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "VVPAT, a revolutionary step in voting transparency". DNA. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- ^ "Not many were aware of VVPAT, but were happy with verification". The Hindu. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Safe distance". The Indian Express. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "As smooth as it gets, says city poll chief". The Times of India. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Ripon Buildings turns nerve centre of electoral activities in Chennai". The Times of India. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "Voter's verifiable paper audit trail system to be introduced in Chennai Central constituency". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ "EC announces Lok Sabha election dates: VVPATs, to be used in all polling stations, help bring more accuracy in voting". Firstpost. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "What are EVMs, VVPAT and how safe they are". The Times of India. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Supreme Court: Count VVPAT slips of 5 booths in each assembly seat | India News". The Times of India. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ JAIN, MEHAL (8 April 2019). "Breaking: SC Directs ECI To Increase VVPAT Verification From One EVM To Five EVMs Per Constituency [Read Order]". www.livelaw.in. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "When the SC Says No for Software Audit Review of EVMs & VVPAT at Present". Moneylife NEWS & VIEWS. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "EVM-VVPAT pass test in Lok Sabha polls". Economic Times. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "ECI Press release - Supreme Court's judgement for "None of the Above" option on EVM– clarification" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Who can vote by postal ballot?". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Election Commission to ensure postal votes don't get invalid". dna. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Petition for Absentee Voting in Indian Elections". Voterswithoutborders.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "People for Lok Satta- NRI voting campaign". Nrivotingrights.info. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ Postal ballots: Who can vote through ETPB, how to get registered and how the voting is done; an explainer, First Post, 2 April 2019.
- ^ Maharashtra, Haryana Elections 2019: Can You Vote By Postal Ballot If You Aren't Living At Home?, Huffington Post, 26 September 2019.
- ^ Bakshi, Gorki (29 October 2019). "People over 80 years of age, disabled can now vote through postal ballot". Retrieved 22 September 2020.
External links
[edit]
- Election Commission of India
- Adam Carr's election archive
- Qualification and disqualification Election Commission of India handbook for candidates
- Elections India Archived 26 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
