4. Electoral Politics
Syllabus
Electoral politics in democracy: Why and how do we elect representatives? Why
do we have a system of competition among political parties? How has the
citizens participation in electoral politics changed? What are the ways to
ensure free and fair elections?
Facts that Matter:
·
In
democratic countries, decisions are taken by consulting each other. But
practically it is not possible for people to sit together every day and take
all the decisions. Nor everyone has the time and knowledge to take decisions on
all matters. So in most democracies people rule though their representatives.
·
Elections
provide a mechanism by which people can choose their representative at regular
intervals and change them if they wish to do so. All democratic countries hold
elections.
·
Elections
are all about political competition among several parties or candidates. If
there is no competition, elections will become pointless.
·
Electoral
competition has many demerits. It creates a sense of disunity and factionalism
in every locality. Parties and candidates often use dirty tricks to win
elections.
·
At the same
time electoral competition has merit too. Regular electoral competition provides
incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if the raise issues
that people want to be raised their popularity and chances of victory will
increase in the next elections. But if they fails to satisfy the voters with
their work they will not be able to win again.
·
Now we will
see the system of elections in the context of our country. Here, Lok Sabha and
Vidhan Sabha elections are held regularly after every five years. After five
years the term of all the elected representatives comes to an end and the Lok
Sabha or Vidhan Sabha stands dissolved.
·
General
elections are held in all constituencies or electoral constituencies at the
same time, either on the same day or within a few days. The voters who live in
a constituency elect one representative.
·
For the Lok
Sabha elections, the country is divided into 543 constituencies. The representative
elected from each constituency is called a Member of Parliament or an MP.
Similarly, each state is divided into 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.
·
In our constitution
there is a special system of reserved constituencies for people who belong to
the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
·
Once the
constituencies are decided, Voter’s list is prepared. This list is official
called the Electoral Roll. In our country, all the citizens aged 18 years and
above can vote in an election. Every citizen has the right to vote, regardless
of his or her caste, religion or gender. For voting, the voters have to show proofs
of identity such as Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) ration card etc.
·
The next
step is nomination of candidates. 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.
·
Election
campaign is an important phase of any election. 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. 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.
·
The final
stage of an election is the day when the voters cast or poll their vote. Every person
whose name is on the voters list can go to a nearby polling booth. Once the
voter goes inside the booth, the election officials identify him, put a mark on
his finger and allow him to cast his vote.
·
Electronic
Voting Machines (EVM) are used to record votes. The machine shows the names of
the candidates and the party symbols. What the voter has to do is to press the
button against the name of the candidate he/she wants to give his/her vote.
·
Once the
polling is over, all the EVMs are sealed and taken to a designated 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 candidate who
secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared elected.
The defeated candidate or party, on the other hand, has to accept the election
outcome as people’s verdict.
·
In our
country, elections are conducted by an independent and powerful Election
Commission (EC). The Chief Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President of
India. The Election Commission of India enjoys wide ranging powers. It 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.
Words that Matter:
Constituency: Voters in a geographical area who elect a
representative to the legislative bodies.
Rigging: Fraud and malpractices indulged by a party or candidate to
increase its votes.
Turn out: The percentage of eligible voters who cast their votes in an
election.
Incumbent: The current holder of a political office.
Code of Conduct: A set of norms and guidelines to be followed
by political parties and contesting candidates during election time.
Level playing field: Condition in which all parties and candidates
contesting in an election have equal opportunities to appeal for votes and to
carry out election campaign.
Booth capturing: Supporters or hired musclemen of party or a
candidate gain political control of a polling booth and cast false votes by
threatening everyone or by preventing genuine voters from reaching the polling
booth.
Voter’s list: The list of these who are eligible to vote.
This list is officially called the Electoral Roll.
NCERT In-Text questions solved
1. Do most leaders fulfil their election
promises?
Most leaders do not fulfil their
election promises. Actually they forget all the promises that they make before
election.
2. We have seen why democracies need to have
elections. But why do rulers in non-democratic countries need to hold elections?
Rulers in non-democratic
countries do not need to hold elections but they do so because they just try to
convince their people that they are living in a democratic country.
3. Like the Panchayats, should we not have at
least one-third seats in the parliament and assemblies reserved for women?
Definitely, Like in Panchayats
one-third seats should be reserved for women in the parliament and assemblies.
4. Why are the candidates required to give a
detailed statement of their property?
The candidates are required to give a detailed
statement of their property so that transparency is maintained. Nothing is kept
hidden. The voters should know everything about the candidate whom they vote.
5. Match the following features of our
electoral system with the principles they reflect.
Principle Features
of election system
a) Universal adult franchise i) Everyone who is 18
years of age or has a right to vote
b) Representation of weaker sections ii) Reservation of seats for the SCs
and the STs
c) Open political competition iii) Anyone can form a
party or contest elections
d) One vote one value iv) Each constituency has roughly
the same population.
6. Why are party agents present in the
polling booth and the counting centres?
Party agents are present in the
polling booth and the counting centre to ensure that the voting takes place in
a fair way.
7. Why does the Election Commission have so
much power? Is this good for democracy?
It enables the Election
Commission to conduct free and fair elections. It is good for democracy because
in its absence the candidates can go to any extent of fraud and malpractices.
It keeps them in control.
NCERT textbook questions solved
1. Which of the following statements about
the reasons for conducting selections are false?
a) Elections enable people to
judge the performance of the government.
b) People select the
representative of their choice in an election.
c) Elections enable people to
evaluate the performance of the judiciary.
d) People can indicate which policies
they prefer.
2. Which of these is not a good reason to say
that Indian elections are democratic?
a) India has the largest number
of voters in the world.
b) India’s Election Commission is
very powerful.
c) In India, everyone above the
age of 18 has a right to vote.
d) In India, the losing parties
accept the electoral verdict.
3. Match the following:
|
Part-A
|
Part-B
|
|
a) It is
necessary to keep the voters list up to date because
|
i) some
people may have moved away from the area where they voted last
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b) Some
constituencies are reserved for SCs and STs so that
|
ii) there
is a fair representation of all sections of our society.
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c) Everyone
has one and only one vote so that
|
iii) everyone
has equal opportunity to elect their representative.
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|
d) Party
in power is not allowed to use government vehicles because
|
iv) all
candidates must have a fair chance of competing in elections.
|
4. List all the different election related
activities mentioned in the chapter and arrange them in a time sequence with
the first activity and ending with the last. Some of these activities are given
below:
Releasing election manifestos; counting of
votes; making of voters list; election campaign; declaration of election
results; casting of votes; ordering of re-poll; announcing election schedule;
filling nomination.
List of election related
activities arranged in a time sequence:
i) Making of voters list
ii) Announcing election schedule
iii) Filling nomination
iv) Releasing election manifestos
v) Election campaign
vi) Casting of votes
vii) Ordering of re-poll
viii) Counting of votes
ix) Declaration of election
results
5. Surekha is an officer in-charge of
ensuring free and fair elections in an assembly constituency in a state.
Describe what should she focus on for each of the following stages of election:
a) Election campaign
b) Polling day
c) Counting day
a) Election campaign: For this Surekha should ensure that:
·
The
candidates do not bribe or threaten the voters.
·
Caste and
religion are not used in the campaign.
·
Places of
worship are not used for election propaganda.
·
Ministers do
not use government vehicles for their campaign.
b) Polling day: She should ensure that indicates of rigging
i.e. fraud and malpractices and booth capturing do not take place in any
circumstances.
c) Counting day: She should see to it that counting of votes
is done in a peaceful way. She should also ensure that the agents of all the
candidates are present in the polling booth.
6. The table below gives the proportion of
different communities among the candidates who won elections to the US
Congress. Compare these to the proportion of these communities in the
population of the US. Based on this, would you suggest a system of reservations
in the US Congress? If yes, why and for which communities? If no, why not?
|
Proportion
of the community
(in per
cent) in the
|
||
|
|
House of
representatives
|
Population
of
US
|
|
Blacks
|
8
|
13
|
|
Hispanics
|
5
|
13
|
|
Whites
|
86
|
70
|
In would like to suggest that
seats should be reserved in the US Congress for both Blacks and Hispanics.
These will their representation in proportion to the percentage of their
population. So, far the Whites are concerned, there should be no reservation for
them because they are already over represented in proportion to their
population.
7. Can we draw the following conclusions from
the information given in this chapter? Give two facts to support your position
for each of these.
a) Election Commission of India
does not have enough powers to conduct free and fair elections in the country.
No. The Election Commission of
India has enough powers to be able to conduct free and fair elections in the
country. It implements the code of conduct and punishes any government to
follow some guidelines, to prevent use and misuse of governmental power to
enhance its chances to win election, or to transfer some government officials.
b) There is a high level of
popular participation in the elections in our country.
Yes. Popular participation in the
elections in our country has been rising constantly. 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.
c) It is very easy for the party
in power to win an election.
No. It is not easy for the party
in power to win an election. 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 fifteen years, the ruling party lost.
d) Many reforms are needed to
make our elections completely free and fair.
Yes. Reforms are badly needed to
make our elections completely free and fair. It is often seen that 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 connections have been able to
push others out of the electoral race and to secure a ticket from major
parties.
8. Chinappa was convinced for torturing his
wife for dowry. Satbir was held guilty of practicing untouchability. The court
did not allow either of them to contest elections. Does this decision go
against the principle of democratic elections?
The court’s decision is right. It
does not go gainst the principles of democratic elections. Both Chinappa and
Satbir have committed offences. They have violated laws. Therefore, they must
be debarred from contesting elections.
9. Here are some reports of electoral
malpractices from different parts of the world. Is there anything that these
countries can learn from India to improve their election? What would you
suggest in each case?
a) During an election in Nigeria,
the officer in charge of counting votes deliberately increased the votes of one
candidate and declared him elected. The court later found out that more than five
lakh votes cast for one candidate were counted in favour of another.
In this case, the election should
be declared null and void and re-poll should be arranged in that constituency.
In India such a situation can not occur because agents of all candidates are
present to ensure that counting is done properly. Nigeria should lear this from
India to improve its elections.
b) Just before elections in Fiji,
a pamphlet was distributed warning voters that a vote for former Prime
Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry will lead to bloodshed. This was a threat to voters
of Indian origin.
It is definitely an electoral
malpractice to issue such a pamphlet. The circulation of such pamphlets should
be stopped immediately. In India, there is an Elections Commission which has
been given enough powers to set up an enquiry into such a case and debar the
candidate or party involved in distributing such pamphlets. Fiji should learn
from India to avert such a situation.
c) In the US, each state has its
own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority of
conducting elections. Authorities in the state of Florida took many controversial
decisions that favoured Mr. Bush in the presidential elections in 2000. But no
one could change those decisions.
In India such a situation can not
arise because states here are not authorised to make their own laws regarding
elections. The US should do the same. It should not authorise any of its states
to conduct elections.
10. Here are some reports of malpractices in
Indian elections. Identify what the problem in each case is. What should be
done to correct the situation?
a) Following the announcement of
elections, the minister promised to provide financial aid to reopen the closed
sugar mill.
Policy decisions can not be made
after the elections are announced. If any of the ministers does so, he/she is
wrong and should be stopped from making any promises or decisions.
b) Opposition parties alleged
that their statements and campaign was not given due attention in Doordarshan
and All India Radio.
All the parties should be given
amble time to express their view and opinions on Doordarshan and All India
Radio.
c) An inquiry by the Election
Commission showed that electoral rolls of a state contain name of 20 lakh fake
voters.
The electoral rolls of the state
should be attentively revised and the names of fake voters should be eliminated
from the voters list immediately.
d) The hoodlums of a political
party were moving with guns, physically preventing supporters of other
political parties to meet the voters and attaching meetings of other parties.
These hoodlums should be caught
and sent to jail. Supporters of other political parties should be providing with
security so that they may arrange meetings without being disturbed.
11. Ramesh was not in class when this chapter
was being taught. He came the next day and repeated what he had heard from his
father. Can you tell Ramesh what is wrong with these statements?
a) Women always vote the way men
tell them to. So what is the point of giving them the right to vote?
Time has been changed now. Most
of the women now cast their votes independently. They are not overpowered by
men.
b) Party politic creates tension
in society. Elections should be decided by consequences not by competition.
Ramesh is right to some extent if
he says that party politics creates tension in society. But there is no way
out. It is not possible in any large community to have consensus on election.
c) Only graduates should be
allowed to stand as candidates for elections.
In our country putting an
educational qualification would go against the spirit of democracy. It would
mean depriving a majority of the country’s citizens the right to contest
elections. If, for example, a graduate degree was made compulsory for candidates,
more than 90% of the citizens will become ineligible to contest elections.
More questions solved
I. Multiple choice questions
Choose the correct option:
1. What is the representative elected from
each parliamentary constituency called?
a) The Member of Legislative
Assembly
b) The elected head
c) A Member of Parliament
d) None of the above
2. During the 2004 elections how many voters
took part in campaign related activities?
a) Less than one third voters
b) More than one third voters
c) More than two third voters
d) Less than one third voters
3. What does ‘EPIC’ stand for?
a) Election Photo Identity
Commission
b) Elementary Photo Identity Card
c) Election Photo Identity Card
d) Election Photo Individual Card
4. Who appoints the Chief Election Commissioner
(CEC) in India?
a) The Chief Justice of India b) The Lok Sabha Speaker
c) The Prime Minister of India d) The President of India
5. Nowadays which machine is used to record
votes?
a) Electronic voting machine b)
Electronic visual machine
c) Electronic video machine d) Electric voting machine
6. According to the Code of Conduct for
election campaigns, which is an incorrect option?
a) A party or candidate can use
any place of worship for election propaganda.
b) No party or candidate can use
government vehicles, aircrafts and officials for elections.
c) Once elections are announced,
ministers shall not lay foundation stones of any projects.
d) Once elections are announced, ministers
shall not take any big policy decisions or make any promises of providing
public facilities.
7. Which party used the slogan Garibi Hatao
(Remove poverty) in the Lok Sabha elections of 1971?
a) The Left Front b) The telugu Desam Party
c) Janata Party d) The Congress Party
8. Who can become a candidate in elections?
a) Anyone who can be voter
b) A voter whose minimum age is
25 years
c) A citizen of a country
d) A person who holds an influential
position in society
9. Voters list is also known as………
a) ticket b) nomination form
c) electoral roll d)
none of the above
10. How many seats are reserved for the
Scheduled Castes in the Lok Sabha?
a) 79 seats b)
41 seats c) 78 seats d) None
11. Why are election needed?
a) Voters can choose their
representative who will make laws for them.
b) Voters can choose their
representative who will form the government and take major decisions.
c) Voters can choose the party
whose policies will guide the government and law making.
d) All the above.
12. What makes an election democratic?
a) Right to choose b) Freedom of choice
c) Free and fair elections d) All the above
13. Who can be denied the right to vote?
a) Women b) People working in private firms
c) Criminals and persons with an
unsound mind d) Adult students
II. Very short answer type questions:
1. What is a representative elected from each
parliamentary constituency called?
He is called a Member of
Parliament (MP).
2. How many voters took part in campaign
related activities during the 2004 elections?
More than one third voters took
part in campaign related activities during 2004 elections.
3. Explain- ‘Everyone should be able to
choose’.
This means that everyone should
have one vote and every vote should have equal value.
4. What is election?
It is a mechanism by which people
can choose their representative at regular intervals and change them if they
wish to do so.
5. Mention one merit of regular electoral
competition.
Regular electoral competition
provides incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if they
raise issues that people want to be raised, their popularity and chances of
victory will increase in the next elections.
6. What is called a general election?
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.
7. What is called a by-election?
Sometimes election is held only
for one constituency to fill the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a
member. This is called by-election.
8. What is constituency?
For elections, the country is
divided into fixed electoral areas with a body of registered voters. These
areas are called constituency. The voters who live in an area elect one
representative.
9. Who can stand for election in a SC
reserved constituency?
Someone who belongs to the
scheduled castes can stand for election in a SC reserved constituency.
10. What is called the Electoral Roll or the
Voters list?
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 or the
Voters List.
11. What does ‘EPIC’ stand for?
EPIC stands for Election Photo
Identity Card.
12. What is the significance of Election
Photo Identity Card (EPIC)?
This card is given 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.
13. Anyone who can be a voter can also become
a candidate in elections, but there is one difference. What is it?
In order to be a candidate in elections
the minimum age is 25 years, while it is only 18 years for being a voter.
14. What is the significance of a legal
declaration made by a candidate?
A legal declaration made by a
candidate given details of his educational qualifications, assets and
liabilities and serious criminal cases pending against him. This provides an
opportunity to the voters to make their decision on the basis of the
information provided by candidates.
15. What is the main purpose of election?
The main purpose of election is
to give people a chance to choose the representative, the government and the
policies they prefer.
16. What are the different activities
associated with election campaigns?
During election campaigns the
candidates contact their voters, political leaders address election meetings
and political parties mobilise their supporters.
17. Name any two successful slogan given by
different political parties in various elections.
i) Garibi Hatao (Remove Poverty)
– given by the Congress Party.
ii) Protect the Self-Respect of
the Telugus – given by the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh.
18. What is it necessary to regulate election
campaigns?
It is necessary to regulate
election campaigning to ensure that every political party and candidate gets a
fair and equal chance to compete.
19. What is a 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.
20. What is electronic voting machine (EVM)?
It is a machine that shows the names
of the candidates and the party symbols. This machine is used to record votes.
21. Who is the head of the Election
Commission (EC)?
The Chief Election Commission (CEC)
is the head of the election commission.
22. Mention one function of the Election Commission.
The election commission implements
the code of conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
23. How is people’s participation in election
measured?
People’s participation in
election is usually measured by voter turnout figures-which indicate the
percent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote.
24. What is code of conduct?
It is a set of norms and
guidelines to be followed by political parties and contesting candidates during
election time.
25. Who vote in larger proportion as compared
to the rich and privileged sections?
The poor, illiterate and
underprivileged people vote in larger proportion as compared to the rich and
privileged sections.
26. What is the final phase of an election?
The final phase of an election is
the acceptance of election outcome by the defeated party.
27. What is meant by booth capturing?
Supporters or hired musclemen of
party or a candidate gain physical control of a polling booth and cast false
votes by threatening or by preventing genuine voters from reaching the polling
booth.
28. Who can be denied the right to vote?
Criminals and persons with an
unsound mind can be denied the right to vote.
29. Who appoints the Chief Election
Commissioner of India?
The President of India appoints
the Chief Election Commissioner.
III. Short answers type questions:
1. What do you mean by election? Why is it
needed in a democracy?
Election is a mechanism by which
people can choose their representatives at regular intervals and change them if
they wish to do so. Elections are considered essential for the following
reasons:
i) In any large community it is
not possible for all the people to sit together every day and take all the
decisions. Nor is it possible for everyone to have the time and knowledge to take
decisions on all matters. Therefore, in most democracies, people rule through
their representatives, who are elected by the people themselves. For electing
these representatives, elections are essential.
ii) Elections are fought on party
basis. The party which gets a majority forms the government. If the government
fails to work as per its promises, people can change it. They bring this change
through elections. Thus, elections enable people to exercise control over the
government.
2. What choices do the voters make in an
election?
In an election the voters make
the following choices:
i) They can choose who will make
laws for them.
ii) They can choose who will form
the government and take major decisions.
iii) They can choose the party
whose policies will guide the government and law making.
3. Enumerate the demerits of an electoral
competition.
The demerits of an electoral
competition are given below:
i) It creates disunity and
factionalism in every locality. People often complain of party-politics.
ii) Different political parties
and leaders often level allegations against one another. Parties and candidates
often use dirty tricks to win elections.
iii) It is often said that the
pressure to win electoral fights does not allow sensible long term policies to
be formulated. Some good people may wish to serve the country do not enter this
arena. They do not like the idea of being dragged into unhealthy competition.
4. What are the merits of electoral competition?
Enlist them.
The merits of electoral
competition are given below:
i) Regular electoral competition
provides incentives to political parties and leaders. They know that if they
raise issues that people want to be raised, their popularity and chances of
victory will increase in the next elections. But if they fail to satisfy the
voters with their work they will not be able to win again. So, if a political
party is motivated only by desire to be in power, even then it will be forced
to serve the people.
ii) Political competition may
cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally helps to force political
parties and leaders to serve the people.
5. What were the worries of the Constitution
makers about the certain weaker sections of the country? What did they do to
bring them in the mainstream of the politics?
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 against others. Those who are influential and resourceful may
prevent them from winning elections.
Therefore, the Constitution
makers thought of a special system of reserved constituencies for the weaker
sections. Some constituencies are reserved for people, who belong to the SC and
ST. currently, in the Lok Sabha, 79 seats are reserved for the SCs and 41 for
the STs. This number is in proportion to their share in the total population. Thus,
the reserved seats of SCs and STs do not take away the legitimate share of any
other social group.
6. What details are required from the
candidates who wish to contest elections?
Candidates who wish to contest
elections have to make a legal declaration, giving full details of:
i) Serious criminal cases pending
against the candidates.
ii) Details of the assets and
liabilities of the candidates and their family.
iii) Educational qualification of
candidates.
This information has to be made public.
This provides an opportunity to the voters to make their decision on the basis
of the information provided by the candidates.
7. ‘Election campaigns are needed to
regulate’. Why? Give reasons.
Or
How do our election laws regulate election campaigns?
It may prove dangerous if
political parties and candidates are given freedom to conduct their election
campaigns the way they want to. So, it is essential to regulate campaigns to
ensure that every political party and candidate gets a fair and equal chance to
compete. According to our election law, no party or candidate can
i) Bribe or threaten voters;
ii) Appeal to them in the name of
caste or religion;
iii) Use government resources for
election campaign; and
iv) spend more than 25 lakh in a
constituency for a Lok Sabha election or 10 lakh in a constituency in an
Assembly election.
If they do so, their election can
be rejected by the court even after they have been declared elected.
8. What is meant by Code by Conduct? How does
it exercise its control on party and candidate?
By Code of Conduct we mean a set
of norms and guidelines to be followed by political parties and contesting
candidates during election time. According to this, no party or candidate can
i) Use any place of workshop for
election propaganda;
ii) Use government vehicles,
aircrafts and officials for elections; and
iii) Once elections are
announced, Minister shall not lay foundation stones of any projects, take any
big policy decisions or make any promises of providing public facilities.
9. What is done after the polling is over?
After the polling is over, all
the Electric Voting Machines (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. Within a few
hours of counting, all the results are declared and become clear as to who will
form the next government.
10. What are the minimum conditions of a
democratic election? Enlist them.
The minimum conditions of the
democratic elections are as follows:
i) Everyone should be able to
choose. This means that everyone should have one vote and every vote should
have equal value.
ii) 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.
iii) The choice should be offered
at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
iv) The candidate preferred by
the people should get elected.
v) Elections should be conducted
in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.
11. Write a short note on election campaign.
In India, election campaigns take
place for a two week period between the announcement of the final list of
candidates and the date of polling. During this period the candidates contact
their voters, political leaders address election meeting and political parties
mobilise their supporters. The publicity is also done through newspapers,
television channels, election meetings, posters etc. in election campaigns,
political parties try to focus public attention on some big issues for which
usually catchy slogans are created to attract people’s attention.
12. What system of elections is followed in
India?
There are two types of elections
that take place in India. When elections are held regularly after every five
years this is called a general elections. But sometimes election is held only
for one constituency to fill the vacancy caused by death or resignation of a
member. This is called a by-election. 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 and Vidhan
Sabha stands ‘dissolved’.
13. What do you mean by voter’s list? What is
its significance?
In a democratic election the list
of people eligible to vote is prepared much before the election. This list is
officially called the Electoral Roll and is commonly known as the Voters List.
This is an important step for it is linked to the first condition of democratic
election. Everyone should get equal opportunity to choose representatives.
Everyone deserves to have an equal say in decisions that affect them.
The electoral roll is normally
revised every year to add the names of these who are to turn 18 on the 1st
January of that year or have moved into a constituency and to remove the names
of those who have died or moved out of a constituency.
14. How does the polling take place?
On the Election Day the voters
cast or poll their vote. People who are eligible to vote go to the nearest
‘polling booth’ and vote. A mark is put on the finger of the voter who votes as
identification mark so as to avoid any person voting more than once. An agent
of each candidate is allowed to sit inside the polling booth to ensure that the
elections are conducted in the free and fair manner.
15. What is Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)?
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. Then on the decided date the votes secured
by each candidate are counted and the candidate who secures the highest number
of votes from a constituency is declared elected.
16. What unfair practices are generally used
in elections by our contesting candidates?
In elections a lot of unfair
practices are used. Some of these are given below;
a) Inclusion of false names and
exclusion of genuine names in the voter’s list.
b) Misuse of government
facilities and officials by the ruling party.
c) Excessive use of money by rich
candidates and big parties.
d) Intimidation of voters and
rigging on the day of polling.
e) Booth capturing is also done
by several influential candidates for winning elections.
IV. Long answer type questions:
1. Describe different stages of an election
in India.
Or
Describe how elections are held in India.
The election in India is
comprised of various stages:
i) Electoral Constituencies: First of all, the whole country is divided
into different areas for purposes of elections. These areas are called
electoral constituencies. The voters who live in an area elect the one
representative.
ii) Voter’s List: Once the constituencies are divided, the next
step is to decide who can and who cannot vote. This decision cannot be left to
anyone till the last day. In a democratic election, the list of those who are
eligible to vote is prepared much before the election and given to everyone.
iii) Nomination of Candidates: Every person who wishes to contest an
election has to fill a nomination form by the due date, which the Election
Commission fixes. Every candidate has to give some money as security deposit
along with nomination form.
iv) Election Campaign: Election campaigns take place for a two-week
period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of
polling. During this period the candidates contact their voters, political
leaders address election meeting and political parties mobilise their
supporters.
v) Polling and counting of Votes: 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 voter’s list can go to a nearby
polling booth. Once the voter goes inside the booth, the election officials
identify him/her, put a mark on his/her finger and allow him/her to cast a
vote. There are electronic voting machines (EVMs) which are used to record
votes. The machine shows the names of the candidates and the party symbols.
What the voter has to do is to press the button against the name of the
candidate he/she wants to give his/her vote.
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 candidate who secures the highest number of votes
from a constituency is declared elected.
2. Describe the wide-ranging powers of the
Election Commission of India.
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 Commission does, it is virtually impossible for it to remove the CEC. The
Election Commission of India enjoys wide-ranging powers:
i) EC takes decisions on every
aspect of conduct and control of elections from the announcement of elections
to the declaration of results.
ii) It implements the code of
conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
iii) During the election period,
the EC can order the government to follow some questions, to prevent use and
misuse of governmental power to enhance its chances to win elections, or to
transfer some government officials.
iv) When on election duty,
government officers work under the control of the EC and not the government.
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