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CIVICS Chapter 3: Electoral Politics
(1) ELECTORAL POLITICS 03 Electoral Politics Elections in a Democracy People cannot govern themselves directly in any democratic setup. Thus, elections are held in a democracy in which people elect their own representatives. Why are Elections Needed? Elections are needed because of the following reasons: • It is not possible for people in large countries to hold meetings and take decisions regarding the working of the Government. Not all people are educated enough to take major decisions. Thus, in democratic countries, elections are held where people elect their own representatives who make laws for the country. • Representatives cannot be selected on the basis of age and experience. Such representatives may not rule according to the wishes of the people. It is only through elections that people can elect their own representatives. Therefore, elections are needed in any democracy. During elections, voters choose the people who could make laws for them. They also choose a specific party which may govern the country according to its principles. Thus, voters decide the people and the party which form the Government. Free and Fair Elections Sometimes elections may not be fair. For example, in China, elections are held at regular intervals but only the members of the Communist party can contest the elections. This is not a democratic election. Some features of free and fair elections are • Every citizen above a certain age should have the right to vote, and every vote should have one value. • There should be more than one party, and parties and people should be free to contest elections. • Elections should be conducted at regular intervals. • A candidate preferred by the people should be elected. • More importantly, elections should be held in a free and fair manner and people should have the right to choose their own candidates. In a democracy, political competency is always preferred even though it has some limitations. It is claimed that political competency encourages factionalism, petty party
(2) ELECTORAL POLITICS 03 politics and dirty tricks employed by the parties to ensure the victory of their candidates. Our Constitution however has opted for free electoral politics despite short comings. Political competition is necessary in the world. To eliminate dirty tricks used by political leaders, efforts should be made to improve the knowledge and character of political leaders. Besides, if a leader is not fulfilling his promise, he may be rejected by the voters in the next election. Thus, even if a political party is driven by the motive to be in power, it will still be forced to serve the people. What is system of elections in India? General Election • Elections are held in all constituencies at the same time, either on the same day or within a few days. By-election • Sometimes election is held only for one constituency or two to fill the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a member. Electoral Constituencies • The country is divided into different areas based on population for the purpose of elections which are called electoral constituencies. • For Lok Sabha elections, the country is divided into 543 constituencies. • Similarly, each state is divided into a specific number of Assembly constituencies. Reserved Constituencies • Some constituencies are reserved for people who belong to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Voter’s List • The list of people who are eligible for voting is prepared by the Election Commission of India before election. • In India, all the citizens aged 18 years and above has the right to vote, regardless of his or her caste, creed, colour, religion or gender. Nomination of Candidates • Anyone who can be a voter can also become a candidate in elections. • However, minimum age of in order to be a candidate the minimum age is 25 years.
(3) ELECTORAL POLITICS 03 Election Campaign • The campaigns take place for a two-week period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of polling. Polling and Counting of Votes • The final stage of an election is the day when the voters cast or ‘poll’ their vote. Electoral System in India • In India, the Lok Sabha elections are held at the national level, while the State Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) elections are held at the state level. The elected members of both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha are held regularly after every five years. • When elections are held after five years to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly, they are called general elections. When elections take place for one constituency only to fill the vacancy created by the death or the resignation of the member, it is called a by- election. • India is divided into several areas known as electoral constituencies for the purpose of voting. People living in one constituency elect one representative from their area. • For example, in the Lok Sabha elections, the country is divided into 543 constituencies. One person is elected from each constituency. He/she is called a Member of Parliament. Each constituency has roughly an equal population. • Similarly, in the State Assembly elections, the state is divided into a specific number of constituencies. An elected member of a constituency is known as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). • The same is the case with the municipal or panchayat elections. Each village or town is divided into a number of wards which are like constituencies. • In India, some constituencies are reserved for people belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other economic backward castes. This has been done so that even the most marginal sections of society get a fair chance of representation in the Lok Sabha, State Assembly, Municipal Corporation and Panchayat. In municipal corporations and gram panchayats, one-third of the seats are reserved for women. Voter’s List • In a democracy, the list of persons who can vote is prepared well before the elections. Officially, this list is called an Electoral Roll and is commonly known as the Voters’ List. • In India, every adult above the age of eighteen years is eligible to vote irrespective of