Skip to main content

The Process of Elections in India (Lawsisto)

 

Written By: Falakdipti

An election is a process by which a population, usually of a democratic country, choose individuals and political parties that would represent them and hold a public office. Although the concept of election is quite ancient, elections in the contemporary world emerged at the beginning of the 17th century in Europe and North America. The first general election in India was held from October of 1951 to February of 1952. 

The type of election process we follow in India is called the First Past The Post system, better known as the FPTP system or the majority system. The candidate who has the highest number of votes is declared the winner. This system is used in the Lok Sabha and the State legislative assembly elections. The Rajya Sabha follows the Proportional Representation system. This system is pretty complicated which is why the countries that follow this system usually only have a few constituencies. It may work in small countries but in India where more than 500 Lok Sabha constituencies exist a more effective method was required.  The reason behind the employment of the majority system in India being a success is its simplicity. It makes the whole election process very easy to apprehend, even for a common voter with no special knowledge of elections. A clear choice of candidates for a constituency is also presented and the voters get to choose between individuals instead of parties. In other systems such as the proportional representation system the choice is commonly asked to be made between parties instead of individuals, therefore, there is no one specific representative.

The Process of Elections in India

Step 1: Formation of Constituencies

Constituencies are the basic units from where the people living in that area can vote for their representatives and stand for elections. According to the constitution of India, the allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha per state shall be readjusted after every census. The same method applies seats of legislative assemblies since the number of seats are in proportion to the population of the particular state.

Step 2: Preparation of Electoral Rolls

Electoral Rolls are the list of total voters of a constituency. India follows the law of Univeral Franchise, which means that anyone above the age of 18 is eligible to vote for a candidate. After attaining the age of majority an individual has to apply for a voter ID and his name is added as a voter in the next election.

Step 3: Registration of Political Parties and Candidates

In order to contest elections, a political party has to fill out the registration form. Every party has to choose a symbol to represent itself. For example, the symbol of BJP is a lotus and the symbol of SP is a bicycle. Each party gives a 'ticket' to its candidate. In order to propose one's name for the elections, the person has to fulfil the eligibility criteria and file the nomination papers with the returning officer. The eligibility criteria for a potential candidate are:

a) Should be at least 30 years of age for Rajya Sabha and state legislative council elections and at least 25 years of age for Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections.

b) Should not hold any office of profit

c) Should be of sound mind

d) Should be a citizen of India

e) Must not be disqualified by any law of the Parliament

f) Must not be a proclaimed criminal

g) must be a registered voter under any constituency

Step 4: Analysis of Nominations

The Returning Officer analyses the submitted nomination papers carefully. If the submission is found satisfactory the candidate has to make a security deposit. For people belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the deposit amount is reduced by half. The deposits are made so that if a candidate fails to secure 1/6th of the total votes, the amount can be forfeited. In case of any misinformation in the submissions, the person is disqualified from the election and banned from contesting in elections for 6 years. 

Step 5: Political Campaigning

A political party has to campaign for a minimum of 2 weeks to gather attention and votes. All parties release their election manifesto which summarises the objectives of the political party such as health care programmes, forming better laws, making more investment in the education sector etc. Candidates of the parties may go door-to-door to ask for votes, organise rallies in the streets, coin new slogans and advertise via televisions, posters and radios. In India, parties are given a limit of expenditure on campaigning and cannot spend more than the set amount. Furthermore, campaigning has to cease 48 hours before the election day.

Step 6: Election Day

It is the day when the voters get to cast their votes to their preferred candidate. While in some countries solely ballots are used for this process, India uses EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine) to vote as well. The voter presses the button next to the symbol of the party the candidate belongs to and his vote is recorded, while in case of ballots the voter puts a seal next to the symbol/candidate's name. The process is supervised by a Presiding Officer to ensure that the norms and rules of the electoral procedure are being followed.

Step 7: Counting of Votes and Declaration of Results

After the voting has concluded, the EVMs or the ballot boxes are sealed and taken to the counting stations. The candidate who obtains the highest number of votes is declared the winner.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Legality of Euthanasia

  Written By: Falakdipti People have access to medical assistance, but there are cases where it does not aid a person to deal with or overcome the pain and suffering one has to go through due to an ailment. In situations where a patient’s condition is deemed ‘hopeless’, and the person is experiencing emphatic mental and physical agony, euthanasia is seen as the only ray of hope.   The term Euthanasia, a noun, was coined the 1640s and comes from two Greek words- Eu, which means good, and Thanatos, which means death. [1] Therefore, euthanasia can be simply translated to ‘good death’. It is a practice of intentionally ending someone’s life to relieve them from pain and suffering, performed under medical supervision. Euthanasia is mainly of three types: [2] ·        Voluntary euthanasia, which is done with the consent of the patient and is legal in some countries ·        Involuntary euthanasia, which is conducted...
2 comments
Read more

Terrorism as a Political Instrument

Written By: Falakdipti   Abstract Terrorism has existed since the old times, back when it was classified as an act against the monarch. Now, in the modern age, it is known as the use of violence to propagate religious and/or political ideologies. Usually, terrorism is associated with militant groups acting against a State, but governments also have the ability to engage in terrorism to use it for political and economic gain. The present paper aims to define terrorism and how it is used by States to establish dominance in the political world and its impact.   Keywords: state, government, militant, sponsor, terrorism   Introduction Terrorism is an act which involves unauthorised and illegal utilisation of deliberate violence in order to achieve political goals. [1] The term ‘terrorism’ originated in the 18 th century, during the French revolution. [2] According to the description by Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, terrorism is the power to hurt in its purest...
1 comment
Read more

Covid Hikikomori: Impact of Lockdown on Acute Social Withdrawal

  Written By: Falakdipti ABSTRACT Everyone wants to retreat from society and the world sometimes. However, some people find themselves isolated in their room for months, sometimes even years, only ever slipping out once in a blue moon. This phenomenon is known as Hikikomori, or Acute Social Withdrawal. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused most of the world to go into lockdown, the term found itself in the spotlight again. This research aims to define Hikikomori and its relation to the pandemic. Keywords: isolation, hikikomori, social, pandemic, withdrawal   INTRODUCTION Japanese is a language that has multifarious beautiful words. ‘ Wabi Sabi ’ means incomplete or imperfect beauty. ‘ Komorebi’ refers to the light that filters through trees and falls on the forest floor. There is another word however, that was coined by renowned psychologist Tamaki Saito in the year 1998 to describe the rising number of cases of social isolation amongst the youth in Japan, known as ‘ Hikikomori ’....
Post a Comment
Read more

Contribution of Racism to Generational Trauma

  Written By: Falakdipti ABSTRACT Racism is a belief that has been around for many centuries and has affected people negatively all around the world. The victims of this bane to society are the People of Colour (PoCs). Many a time the trauma and grief inflicted due to racism can be passed from generation to generation. The issue of racism is rarely a topic of discussion, especially in second and third world countries since they either consist of predominantly one race or the majority of the population is ignorant about the topic. The present study is an attempt to bring forth the issue of racism, how it impacts those affected by it, and how it causes generational trauma and psychological disorders.   Keywords : generational, issues, racism, trauma   INTRODUCTION Kamala Harris got elected as the vice president of the United States of America after the democrat party won the 2020 US presidential race. She became the first woman of colour to achieve this feat in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ableism in Capitalism

Written By: Falakdipti Keywords :  Ableism, capitalism, differently-abled people, disabilities, discrimination, people with disabilities, profit, society INTRODUCTION The privilege of being able-bodied is often something that most people take for granted. Persons with mental and physical disabilities face struggles on a daily basis, including discrimination at the workplace. This ranges from recruitment to their experience in a professional set-up. In a majorly capitalist world, where productivity is given more priority than the welfare of the people involved in the process, differently-abled people are often excluded, or treated improperly as they are considered to be a hindrance in the course of making a profit. This paper is concerned with elaborating the problems that such people face, why they deserve equal opportunities and how they can be included in a capitalist environment.   BASIC CONCEPTS Ableism is a term used to define the social prejudice and discriminati...
Post a Comment
Read more

Case Comment: Krell v Henry

  Written By: Falakdipti Forum Court of Appeal Case Krell v Henry [1903] 2 KB 740 Decided 1903 Rule of Law A party’s duties are discharged where a party’s purpose is frustrated without fault by the occurrence of an event, which the non-occurrence of which was a basic assumption on which the contract was made.     INTRODUCTION Krell v Henry [1] is an important case and a necessary judgement for law students and practitioners to understand the Doctrine of Frustration, which comes under section 56 [2] of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (agreement to do impossible act). It is an English case and one of the group of cases known as the “coronation cases” [3] which emerged from occasions encompassing the crowning ceremony of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902.   BACKGROUND In this case the plaintiff was Paul Krell and the defendant was C.S. Henry. Bot...
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding ‘Real’ Secularism: Study of Pseudo-Secularism in Indian Context

Written By: Falakdipti Abstract Secularism is a term that can be interpreted in multifarious ways by various people. Although it is a modern concept, its roots lie in the philosophies of ancient civilisations. The idea of secularism was introduced in India during the British Raj as a tool to suppress the quest for independence by making the predominately Hindu Indian National Congress prioritise and address concerns of the minorities (Muslims), which then gradually led to India adapting into a type of secularism different from most of the countries. Moreover, a few Indian political leaders acted as catalysts to further establish the idea into the constitution and our governing system. The word has become a means to normalise and justify Hinduphobia, which goes against what secularism strives for. The country every day faces instances where the authorities of the nation execute minority favouritism under the garb of secularism. This paper aims to address the characteristics of neo-secul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Unwanted Pregnancies and Legality of Abortion

  Written By: Falakdipti The word ‘abortion’ derives from Latin words ab, which means ‘away’ and orior which means ‘to grow’. Hence, the term refers to the expulsion of the foetus from the mother’s womb before it reaches the stage of subsistence. [1] The word first emerged in the English language in the 16 th century and was used to define both intentional and unintentional miscarriages. However, in the 19 th century, the word got associated solely with intentionally induced termination of pregnancy. [2] To what extent abortion should be permitted has always been a subject of debate on ethical, moral, medical, social and religious grounds. According to Scribonius Largus and Soranus, the Hippocratic oath forbade physicians from performing abortions. [3] However, it was in 1588 when abortion was declared an act of homicide by Pope Sixtus V and was hence banned. Ever since then the topic of abortion has become more controversial. It was in 1920 when the Soviet Union became the fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Farm Bills and Its Impact on Income and Status of Farmers

Written By: Falakdipti The Indian Agriculture Acts of 2020 are three acts of September 2020 that seek to build an environment in which farmers and traders can enjoy the right to choose between the selling and purchasing of agro-products and encourage inter and intra-state trade and commerce beyond the physical premises of the markets informed by State Agricultural Produce Marketing legislations. The three bills which have been passed are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill. According to the Centre, these bills would completely change the agriculture sector for good and also raise farmers’ incomes. The government also reckoned that their income would double by 2022 and the farmers will have the liberty to fetch a better price for their produce by becoming independent of government-controlled markets. Moreover, th...
Post a Comment
Read more