ELECTORAL POLITICS

DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
⚫ Elections are a mechanism by which people can choose
their representatives at regular intervals and change
them
⚫ In an election the voters make many choices:
⚫ < They can choose who will make laws for them
⚫ < They can choose who will form the government and
take major decisions
⚫ < They can choose the party whose policies will guide
the government and law making

ELECTIONS?? WHY DO WE NEED THEM?

⚫ First, everyone should be able to choose- This means that
everyone should have one vote and every vote should have
equal value
⚫ Second, there should be something to choose from-Parties
and candidates should be free to contest elections and should
offer some real choice to the voters.
⚫ Third, the choice should be offered at regular intervals-
Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
⚫ Fourth, the candidate preferred by the people should get
elected.
⚫ Fifth, elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner
where people can choose as they really wish.

WHAT MAKES AN ELECTION DEMOCRATIC?

⚫ Elections are all about
political competition
which takes various
forms.
⚫ The most common form
is the competition
among political parties.
⚫ At the constituency
level, it takes the form
of competition among
several candidates.

WHAT IS POLITICAL COMPETITION??

MERITS DEMERITS

⚫ Regular electoral competition

provides incentives to political
⚫ It creates a sense of disunity and
‘factionalism’
parties and leaders ⚫ Different political parties and
⚫ They know that if they raise leaders often level allegations
against one another.
issues that people want to be
raised, their popularity and ⚫ Parties and candidates often use
dirty tricks to win elections.
chances of victory will increase
in the next elections ⚫ Some people say that this
⚫ But if they fail to satisfy the
voters with their work they will
pressure to win electoral fights
does not allow sensible long-term
policies to be formulated.
not be able to win again. ⚫ Some good people who may wish
to serve the country do not enter
this arena

POLITICAL COMPETITION
⚫ Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) elections are held
regularly after every five years.
⚫ After five years the term of all the elected representatives
comes to an end- the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha stands
‘dissolved’
⚫ Elections are held in all constituencies at the same time,
either on the same day or within a few days- this is called a
general election
⚫ Sometimes election is held only for one constitutency to fill
the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a member-
this is called a by-election

SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS
ELECTORAL
CONSTITUENCIES
The country is divided into different
areas for purposes of elections.
These areas are called electoral
constitutencies.
The voters who live in an area elect
one representative.
For Lok Sabha elections, the
country is divided into 543
constituencies.
Our Constitution requires that each
constituency should have a roughly
equal population living within it.
The representative elected from
each constituency is called a
Member of Parliament or an MP.
ASSEMBLY
CONSTITUENCIES
Each state is divided into a specific
number of Assembly constituencies.
In this case, the elected
representative is called the Member
of Legislative Assembly or an MLA.
Each Parliamentary constituency
has within it several assembly
constituencies. The same principle
applies for Panchayat and Municipal
elections.
Each village or town is divided into
several ‘wards’ that are like
constituencies.
Each ward elects one member of
the village or the urban local body.
Sometimes these constituencies are
counted as ‘seats’, for each
constituency represents one seat in
the assembly.
⚫ The Constitution makers, were worried that in an open electoral
competition, certain weaker sections may not stand a good
chance to get elected to the Lok Sabha and the state Legislative
Assemblies
⚫ They may not have the required resources, education and
contacts to contest and win elections against others
⚫ Those who are influential and resourceful may prevent them from
winning elections
⚫ If that happens, our Parliament and Assemblies would be
deprived of the voice of a significant section of our population
⚫ So, the makers of our Constitution thought of a special system of
reserved constituencies for the weaker sections

RESERVED CONSTITUENCIES
⚫ Some constituencies are reserved for people who belong to the
Scheduled Castes [SC] and Scheduled Tribes [ST]
⚫ In a SC reserved constituency only someone who belongs to the
Scheduled Castes can stand for election
⚫ Similarly only those belonging to the Scheduled Tribes can contest an
election from a constituency reserved for ST
⚫ Currently, in the Lok Sabha, 84 seats are reserved for the Scheduled
Castes and 47 for the Scheduled Tribes (as on 26 January 2019)
⚫ This number is in proportion to their share in the total population
⚫ This system of reservation was extended later to other weaker sections
at the district and local level
⚫ In many states, seats in rural (panchayat) and urban (municipalities and
corporations) local bodies are now reserved for Other Backward Classes
(OBC) as well
⚫ However, the proportion of seats reserved varies from state to state
⚫ Similarly, one-third of the seats are reserved in rural and urban local
bodies for women candidates.
⚫ In a democratic election, the list of those
who are eligible to vote is prepared much
before the election and given to everyone.
⚫ This list is officially called the Electoral Roll
and is commonly known as the Voters’ List.
⚫ It is the responsibility of the government to
get the names of all the eligible voters put on
the voters’ list.
⚫ As new persons attain voting age names are
added to the voters’ list.
⚫ Names of those who move out of a place or
those who are dead are deleted.
⚫ A complete revision of the list takes place
every five years.
⚫ This is done to ensure that it remains up to
date.

VOTERS LIST
EPIC
In the last few years a new system
of Election Photo Identity Card
[EPIC] has been introduced.
The government has tried to give
this card to every person on the
voters list. The voters are required
to carry this card when they go out
to vote, so that no one can vote for
someone else.
But the card is not yet compulsory
for voting.
For voting, the voters can show
many other proofs of identity like
the ration card or the driving
licence.
⚫ Political parties nominate their candidates who get the party
symbol and support.
⚫ Party’s nomination is often called party ‘ticket’.
⚫ Every person who wishes to contest an election has to fill a
‘nomination form’ and give some money as ‘security deposit’.
⚫ The minimum age for a candidate should be 25 years of age.
⚫ Every candidate has to make a legal declaration, giving full
details of :-
⚫ < Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate;
⚫ < Details of the assets and liabilities of the candidate and his
or her family; and
⚫ < Educational qualifications of the candidate.
⚫ This information has to be made public

NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES
 It is necessary to have a
free and open discussion
about who is a better
representative, which
party will make a better
government or what is a
good policy.
This is what happens
during election campaigns.

In our country such

campaigns take place for
a two-week period
between the
announcement of the final
list of candidates and the
date of polling.
ELECTION RALLY

ELECTION CAMPAIGN
⚫ During this period the candidates
contact their voters, political leaders
address election meetings and political
parties mobilise their supporters.
⚫ This is also the period when
newspapers and television news are full
of election related stories and debates.
⚫ But election campaign is not limited to
these two weeks only.
⚫ In election campaigns, political parties
try to focus public attention on some
big issues.
⚫ They want to attract the public to that
issue and get them to vote for their
party on that basis
 GARIBI HATAO (Remove poverty)

• CONGRESS (LOK SABHA)- 1971

SAVE DEMOCRACY

• JANATA PARTY (LOK SABHA)- 1971

LAND TO THE TILLER

• LEFT FRONT IN WEST BENGAL- 1977

PROTECT THE SELF RESPECT OF THE TELUGUS

• TELUGU DESAM PARTY IN ANDHRA PRADESH- 1983

SOME POPULAR ELECTION SLOGANS

⚫ ELECTION LAW ⚫ MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT
⚫ No party or candidate can:- ⚫ No party or candidate can:-
⚫ < Bribe or threaten voters; ⚫ < Use any place of worship
⚫ < Appeal to them in the
name of caste or religion; ⚫
for election propaganda;
< Use government vehicles,
⚫ < Use government resources
for election campaign; and
aircrafts and officials for
elections; and
⚫ < Spend more than Rupees ⚫ < Once elections are
announced, Ministers shall
25 lakh in a constituency for
a Lok Sabha election or not lay foundation stones of
Rupees10 lakh in a any projects, take any big
constituency in an Assembly policy decisions or make any
election promises of providing public
facilities.

RULES & LAWS FOR POLITICAL PARTIES

⚫ The final stage of an election is the day
when the voters cast or ‘poll’ their vote.
⚫ That day is usually called the election day.

⚫ Every person whose name is on the

voters’ list can go to a nearby ‘polling
booth’, situated usually in a local school
or a government office.
⚫ Once the voter goes inside the booth, the
election officials identify her, put a mark
on her finger and allow her to cast her
vote.
⚫ An agent of each candidate is allowed to
sit inside the polling booth and ensure
that the voting takes place in a fair way.

POLLING OF VOTES
⚫ Earlier the voters used to indicate
who they wanted to vote for by
putting a stamp on the ballot
paper.
⚫ A ballot paper is a sheet of paper
on which the names of the
contesting candidates along with
party name and symbols are
listed.
⚫ Nowadays electronic voting
machines (EVM) are used to
record votes.
⚫ The machine shows the names of
the candidates and the party
symbols.
⚫ Independent candidates too have
their own symbols, allotted by
election commission
⚫ Once the polling is over, all the EVMs are
sealed and taken to a secure place.
⚫ A few days later, on a fixed date, all the
EVMs from a constituency are opened and
the votes secured by each candidate are
counted.
⚫ The agents of all candidates are present
there to ensure that the counting is done
properly.
⚫ The candidate who secures the highest
number of votes from a constituency is
declared elected.
⚫ In a general election, usually the counting of
votes in all the constituencies takes place at
the same time, on the same day.
⚫ Television channels, radio and newspapers
report this event.

COUNTING OF VOTES
⚫ In our country elections are
conducted by an independent and
very powerful Election Commission
(EC)
⚫ The Chief Election Commissioner
(CEC) is appointed by the President
of India.
⚫ But once appointed, the Chief
Election Commissioner is not
answerable to the President or the
government.
⚫ Even if the ruling party or the
government does not like what the MR.
Commission does, it is virtually SUSHIL
impossible for it to remove the CEC CHANDRA

ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

⚫ < EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections
from the announcement of elections to the declaration of results.
⚫ < It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or
party that violates it.
⚫ < During the election period, the EC can order the government to follow
some guidelines, to prevent use and misuse of governmental power to
enhance its chances to win elections, or to transfer some government
officials.
⚫ < When on election duty, government officers work under the control of
the EC and not the government.
⚫ It is very common now for the Election Commission to reprimand the
government and administration for their lapses. When election officials
come to the opinion that polling was not fair in some booths or even an
entire constituency, they order a repoll. The ruling parties often do not
like what the EC does. But they have to obey.

POWERS OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION

⚫ People’s participation in election is usually measured by voter turnout figures.
Turnout indicates the per cent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote. Over
the last fifty years, the turnout in Europe and North America has declined. In
India the turnout has either remained stable or actually gone up.
⚫ In India the poor, illiterate and underprivileged people vote in larger proportion
as compared to the rich and privileged sections. This is in contrast to western
democracies. For example in the United States of America, poor people, African
Americans and Hispanics vote much less than the rich and the white people.
⚫ Common people in India attach a lot of importance to elections. They feel that
through elections they can bring pressure on political parties to adopt policies
and programmes favourable to them. They also feel that their vote matters in the
way things are run in the country
⚫ The interest of voters in election related activities has been increasing over the
years. During the 2004 elections, more than one third voters took part in a
campaign-related activities. More than half of the people identified themselves as
being close to one or the other political party. One out of every seven voters is a
member of a political party

POPULAR PARTICIPATION
⚫ The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the
national and state level. In fact in every two out of the three
elections held in the last 25 years, the ruling party lost.
⚫ < In the US, an incumbent or ‘sitting’ elected representative
rarely loses an election. In India about half of the sitting MPs
or MLAs lose elections.
⚫ < Candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money
on ‘buying votes’ and those with known criminal connections
often lose elections.
⚫ < Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes
are usually accepted as ‘people’s verdict’ by the defeated
party.

ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTION OUTCOMES

⚫ < Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of
their victory but they do enjoy a big and unfair advantage over
smaller parties and independents.
⚫ < In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal
connection have been able to push others out of the electoral race
and to secure a ‘ticket’ from major parties.
⚫ < Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are
distributed to relatives from these families.
⚫ < Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens, for
both the major parties are quite similar to each other both in
policies and practice.
⚫ < Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge
disadvantage compared to bigger parties.

CHALLENGES TO FREE & FAIR ELECTIONS