7: Elections
The
Big Questions (Keep these in mind while studying)
- Why are elections essential to a
democratic system?
- How do electoral systems and rules
shape political representation and fairness?
- What role do institutions and laws
play in ensuring free and fair elections?
- What challenges do elections face
in practice, and how can these challenges affect democracy?
1.
Why Do Elections Matter?
- Elections are one of the most
important processes for exercising democratic rights. Regular and
periodic elections lie at the core of democracy.
- Representatives to public offices
are chosen through two methods:
|
Type |
Meaning |
Examples
in India |
|
Direct
Elections |
Citizens
vote directly to choose their representatives/leaders |
Lok
Sabha MPs, Vidhan Sabha MLAs, members of local bodies (Panchayats, Municipal
Corporations) — held every 5 years |
|
Indirect
Elections |
Citizens
vote for representatives who then choose/elect the leaders |
President,
Vice President, Rajya Sabha members |
- Why periodic elections are
essential:
- A representative cannot continue
in office indefinitely without facing a fresh election (e.g., a Class
Representative must be re-elected each year; a government cannot continue
beyond its term without seeking a fresh mandate).
- Genuine choice requires more than
one party/candidate to contest.
- Elected representatives must
remain accountable to the people, and this accountability is
ensured only through periodic elections.
- Voting is the principal means by
which citizens exercise their democratic right.
- Definition:
An election is a process through which we exercise the right to vote
and fulfil our responsibility as citizens.
Importance
of Elections in a Democracy (Fig. 7.1)
Elections ensure five key democratic
values:
- Representation
– Elections allow citizens to choose people who will represent their
interests in legislatures.
- Equality
– Every citizen's vote carries equal value (one person, one vote).
- Accountability
– Elected representatives must answer to voters and can be voted out if
they underperform.
- Legitimacy
– A government elected through a free and fair process gains rightful
authority to govern.
- (Two boxes left blank in textbook
for students to fill — commonly filled with "Participation" and
"Choice/Freedom", explaining how each is ensured through
periodic, free elections.)
Do
You Know? — Psephology
- Psephology
= the scientific study of elections.
- Derived from Greek words: psēphos
(pebble) + logy (systematic study).
- In ancient Greece, pebbles were
used for voting — origin of the term.
2.
Inside India's Election Machinery
For democracy to be realised, elections
must be free, fair, and transparent. Given India's size and diversity
(thousands of constituencies, millions of voters), this requires:
- Strong laws
- A well-organised system at national,
state, and local levels
- A robust machinery,
involving the Election Commission of India (ECI), political
parties, civil society, media, and voters.
The Constitution and various parliamentary
laws define the roles and powers of all these stakeholders.
3.
The Electoral System
- The first step in
conducting elections is deciding how votes are converted into seats
in the legislature.
- India's Constitution-framers
considered two main systems and adopted the plurality system, also
called First-Past-The-Post (FPTP).
Where
Each System Is Used in India
|
System |
Used
For |
|
FPTP |
Lok
Sabha, Vidhan Sabha elections |
|
Proportional
Representation (PR) |
Rajya
Sabha, President, Vice President elections |
|
Proportional
Representation by Single Transferable Vote (STV) |
Vidhan
Parishad (Legislative Council) elections |
Comparing
Electoral Systems
|
Feature |
First
Past The Post (FPTP) |
Majority
System |
Proportional
Representation (PR) |
|
How
Voting Works |
Voter
votes for one candidate in their constituency; candidate with most votes wins
(even if less than 50%) |
Voter
votes for one candidate; winner must get more than 50%; if not, top two
candidates face a run-off |
Voters
vote for a party, not a person; seats allotted in proportion to total
votes received |
|
Result
Example |
Party
with highest % (even if not majority) forms government |
Requires
an absolute majority (>50%), else a second round is held |
Seats
distributed proportionally to vote share |
Vidhan
Sabha & Bicameral States
- Vidhan Sabhas (Legislative
Assemblies) are directly elected using FPTP, same as Lok Sabha.
- Six states have a bicameral
legislature (two houses): Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Upper House
= Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council)
- Lower House
= Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly)
- Vidhan Parishad composition:
- Elected by MLAs, local body
members, graduates, and teachers of the state.
- Some members nominated by the
Governor for contributions to art, science, social service,
literature, and co-operatives.
- Elected using Proportional
Representation by Single Transferable Vote (STV).
Single
Transferable Vote (STV) System — Fig. 7.3
Formula for Quota
(minimum votes needed to win):
Quota = ( Total Valid Votes / (Seats to be Filled + 1) ) + 1
Steps in Counting and
Transfer of Votes:
- Voters mark their preferences
(1st, 2nd, 3rd…) on the ballot.
- First preference votes
are counted for all candidates; those meeting the quota are declared
elected.
- The candidate with the lowest
votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the
second-preference candidate marked on those ballots.
- This process continues
until the required number of candidates are elected.
4.
The Laws Governing Elections
Three major legislations govern the
conduct of elections in India:
|
Law |
Key
Provisions |
|
Representation
of the People Act, 1950 |
Allocation
of seats & delimitation of constituencies; preparation/revision of
electoral rolls; ensures every citizen above 18 years has the right to
vote without discrimination |
|
Representation
of the People Act, 1951 |
Nomination
of candidates, election campaigns, voting procedures, resolution of
post-election disputes; lists electoral offences and corrupt practices |
|
The
Presidential and Vice-Presidential Act, 1952 |
Governs
election procedures for the President and Vice President |
Together, these Acts ensure the integrity,
transparency, and accountability of India's electoral process.
Electoral
Offences & Corrupt Practices (under RPA 1951)
- Any gift, offer, or promise
made by/on behalf of a candidate to make a person contest, withdraw, vote,
or refrain from voting.
- Appealing for votes
on the basis of religion, caste, race, community, or language.
- Candidates (or persons on their
behalf) taking assistance from government personnel in their favour
— includes gazetted officers, judges, magistrates, armed forces, police,
and excise officers.
5.
Delimitation Commission
- Delimitation
= the process of determining the number of seats and fixing territorial
boundaries of constituencies for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
- Why needed?
Constituency boundaries are not permanently fixed — they change
with shifts in population, to ensure the ratio of seats to population
stays as equal as possible (avoiding situations where one MP
represents 5 lakh people while another represents 25 lakh).
- Constitutional basis:
Article 82 mandates establishment of a Delimitation Commission.
- India has had four Delimitation
Commissions: 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.
6.
Election Commission of India (ECI)
Basic
Facts
- The Constitution vests in
the ECI the superintendence, direction, and control of the entire
election process.
- Established:
25 January 1950 — an autonomous, permanent constitutional body.
- Conducts elections to: Lok
Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Vidhan Parishad, President, and Vice
President.
- Articles 324 to 329
of the Constitution establish the ECI and define its powers and duties.
State-Level
Machinery
- Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)
of the state — appointed by the ECI in consultation with the State
Government.
- Other officers assigned election
duties: District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Tahsildars
— designated as District Election Officers, Returning Officers,
Electoral Registration Officers, etc.
Key
Functions of the ECI
(a) Creates the
Electoral Roll
- Sends official enumerators
to households to collect data on eligible electors.
- Prepares electoral rolls
for each constituency, organised polling-station-wise.
- Only those on the roll can vote.
- Conducts Special Intensive
Revision (SIR):
- Updates, verifies, and corrects
electoral rolls.
- Ensures no eligible citizen is
left out and no ineligible person is included.
- Adds new voters (especially those
who just turned 18).
- Deletes names due to death,
change of residence, duplicate enrolment, or being permanently
untraceable.
- Provides time for claims/objections
before publishing the final roll.
(b) Decides the
Schedule and Date for Elections
- Triggered when the Legislature's
5-year term ends, or if dissolved earlier.
- Factors considered: weather
conditions, agricultural cycle, school/university exams, festivals,
etc.
(c) Registers
Political Parties and Allocates Symbols
- Only ECI-registered parties
can contest (independent candidates can also contest).
- Ensures inner-party democracy
by requiring periodic organisational elections within parties.
- Classifies parties as: National
Party, State/Regional Party, or Registered-Unrecognised Political Party
(RUPP).
- Acts as a quasi-judicial body
in disputes over party recognition and symbol allotment.
(d) Ensures Free and
Fair Elections
- Elections must be inclusive,
impartial, and trustworthy — not just "held."
- Special ECI initiatives for
inclusion (PwDs, Senior Citizens, Transgender persons, PVTGs):
- EVM with Braille
— for visually impaired voters.
- Home Voting
— extended in the 2024 General Elections for senior citizens
above 85 years and PwDs with 40%+ benchmark disability.
Digital
Ecosystem of the ECI (Fig. 7.6)
|
App/System |
Purpose |
|
Suvidha |
For
candidates & parties — nomination forms, permissions (rallies, vehicles,
loudspeakers) |
|
ERONET |
Form-processing,
dashboards, maintenance of e-rolls |
|
Sugam |
Managing
requisitioned vehicles for election work |
|
ETPBS
(Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System) |
Enables
service voters to receive & cast postal ballots electronically
from outside their constituency |
|
Voter
Helpline App |
Multipurpose
app for registration, transposition, verification, election news |
|
Saksham
App |
Helps
Persons with Disabilities in registration, finding polling stations |
|
cVIGIL
App |
Lets
voters report Model Code of Conduct violations; flying squads respond
using auto-location |
National
Voters' Day
- Celebrated every 25 January
(same date as ECI's establishment).
- Involves reciting the Voters'
Pledge, committing to uphold democratic traditions and vote fearlessly
without being influenced by religion, race, caste, community, language, or
inducement.
Scale
of Indian Elections
- Over 96.8 crore eligible voters
(2024) — the largest electoral exercise in the world.
- ECI uses extensive ICT and
e-governance for rolls, nominations, campaign regulation, law
enforcement, security, counting, results, and dispute resolution.
International
Cooperation
- International Election Visitors'
Programme (IEVP) — ECI's flagship programme for
engaging with global Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
- ECI has signed MoUs with 28
EMBs and 3 international organisations: IFES, International
IDEA, and the United Nations.
7.
Political Parties
Why
Political Parties Matter
Political parties help citizens learn
about candidates, policies, and development visions. They:
- Organise public opinion
- Campaign on specific issues
- Offer voters meaningful choices
- Enable voters to make informed
decisions
They ensure democracy functions
effectively through governance, accountability, representation, and public
engagement, and work directly at the grassroots level.
Role
of Political Parties (Fig. 7.11) — Flow
Citizens → Political Parties (organise public
opinion) →
Contest Elections (campaigns & manifestos) →
- Winning Party
→ Forms
Government →
Formulates & Implements Policies
- Opposition Party
→ Ensures
Accountability →
Participates in Debates/Committees
Multi-Party
System & Defection
- India has a multi-party system,
reflecting its diversity of languages, cultures, religions, and regions.
- A person can switch parties
before being elected. However, once elected on a party's ticket, leaving
that party = Defection.
- Defection
= abandoning/switching from the party under whose banner a candidate was
elected — may involve joining another party or acting independently (e.g.,
voting against the party in the legislature).
- Viewed negatively as "political
opportunism" OR positively as upholding conscience/responding
to public expectations, depending on context.
Anti-Defection
Law
- Passed in 1985 via the 52nd
Constitutional Amendment Act.
- Purpose:
To prevent defection and provide stability to elected governments.
- Rule:
If an MP/MLA voluntarily gives up party membership or votes
against the party whip, they can be disqualified from the
House.
- Decision-making authority:
The Speaker/Chairman of the House.
Criteria
for Recognition of Political Parties (Fig. 7.12)
National Party
(any ONE condition):
- Secures ≥6% valid votes in 4 or
more states in a Lok Sabha/Assembly election, AND wins 4 Lok Sabha
seats from one or more states; OR
- Wins ≥2% of Lok Sabha seats, with
candidates elected from at least 3 states; OR
- Recognised as a State Party in
at least 4 states.
State Party
(any ONE condition):
- ≥6% valid votes in a state
Assembly election + wins ≥2 seats in that Assembly; OR
- ≥6% valid votes in Lok Sabha
election from the state + wins ≥1 Lok Sabha seat from that state;
OR
- Wins ≥3% of Assembly seats or 3
seats, whichever is more; OR
- Wins ≥1 Lok Sabha seat per 25
seats (or fraction) allotted to the state; OR
- Secures ≥8% of valid votes polled
in the state (Lok Sabha or Assembly election).
Registered
Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPP):
- Parties that have not secured
enough vote percentage, OR
- Parties that have never
contested elections since registration.
History
of Coalitions in India
- 1967
marked the end of the single-party-dominated era; politics of alliances
began.
- 1977
– Various parties united to form the Janata Party against the
backdrop of the National Emergency (1975–1977); it formed India's first
coalition government at the national level (Janata Government).
- Since the late 1990s, two major
alliances have dominated:
- National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) – led by the BJP.
- United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
– led by the INC, until its dissolution in 2023 and
reconstitution as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance
(INDIA).
8.
Challenges to Free and Fair Elections
Conducting elections for 96.8+ crore
voters (2024) across thousands of polling stations, hundreds of parties,
and diverse socio-economic realities is a massive challenge. Common challenges
(Fig. 7.13) include:
- Misinformation
- Fake News
- Intimidation
- (Others to think about: money
power, use of muscle power, communal/caste appeals, low voter awareness,
EVM-related distrust, booth capturing, paid news, etc.)
How
These Are Addressed
- RPA 1950 & 1951
— legal framework and penalties.
- Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
— guidelines for parties/candidates during elections.
- EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines)
— for tamper-resistant, efficient voting.
- VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper
Audit Trail) — lets voters verify their vote
was recorded correctly.
- Voter awareness campaigns.
- Constant vigilance and active
citizen participation — makes elections more
representative and democracy more robust.
9.
Key Takeaways ("Before We Move On")
- Casting a vote is both a constitutional
right and a duty of every citizen.
- Elections are the soul of
democracy — they give every citizen an equal voice in forming a
government.
- Laws like RPA 1950 & 1951,
and bodies like the Delimitation Commission and ECI, ensure
elections remain free, fair, and transparent.
- Political parties present diverse
viewpoints on programmes and policies, helping voters make informed
choices.
- Despite challenges, the ECI
strives to ensure elections at all levels are conducted impartially.
10.
Important Terms (Quick Glossary)
|
Term |
Meaning |
|
Direct
Election |
Citizens
vote directly for their representatives |
|
Indirect
Election |
Citizens
vote for representatives who then elect leaders |
|
Psephology |
Scientific
study of elections |
|
FPTP |
Candidate
with most votes wins, regardless of majority |
|
Proportional
Representation |
Seats
allotted based on % of votes received by parties |
|
STV |
PR
system using ranked preferences and a vote quota |
|
Delimitation |
Fixing
constituency boundaries based on population |
|
ECI |
Autonomous
constitutional body conducting elections in India |
|
SIR |
Special
Intensive Revision of electoral rolls |
|
MCC |
Model
Code of Conduct — rules for candidates/parties during elections |
|
VVPAT |
System
letting voters verify their vote via a paper slip |
|
Defection |
Abandoning
the party on whose ticket one was elected |
|
RUPP |
Registered
Unrecognised Political Party |
******
EXERCISE
ANSWERS
Q1. What reforms have
been introduced by the ECI to make voting more inclusive for the following
groups?
a. People with Disabilities (PwDs):
EVMs with Braille signage; the Saksham App for easier registration and
locating polling stations; wheelchairs and volunteer assistance at polling
booths; home voting for PwDs with 40%+ benchmark disability (introduced in the
2024 General Elections).
b. Service Voters: The Electronically
Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) allows them to receive and cast
postal ballots electronically from any location outside their constituency
(since they are on duty, e.g., armed forces personnel).
c. Senior Citizens (60+ and 80+):
Priority access/queues at polling stations for those above 60; home voting
facility extended to citizens above 85 years of age across India for the
first time in the 2024 General Elections.
d. Prisoners: (Note: Under
Indian law, most convicted prisoners lose the right to vote, though undertrials
and those in preventive detention have separate provisions — students should
verify current ECI guidelines/RPA provisions for this category.)
e. Persons in Preventive Detention:
They are permitted to vote through postal ballots, as they have not been
convicted and retain their voting rights, unlike convicted prisoners.
Q2. What are the
various functions of the Election Commission of India? Which of these functions
is most important for the conduct of free and fair elections? Explain.
The ECI performs the following key
functions:
- Creating and updating the electoral
roll (including SIR).
- Deciding the schedule and date
of elections.
- Registering political parties
and allocating symbols.
- Ensuring free and fair elections
through inclusive measures, MCC enforcement, and dispute resolution.
Of these, "Ensuring free and
fair elections" can be considered the most important, because it is
the ultimate purpose that all other functions serve. Even if rolls are prepared
and dates are announced, the entire process becomes meaningless if elections
are not conducted fairly, transparently, and inclusively. This function
safeguards public confidence in democracy itself. (Students may also argue
that maintaining accurate electoral rolls is most fundamental, since without
correct rolls, no citizen can exercise their right to vote at all — both
viewpoints are valid if explained logically.)
Q3. Elections are the
soul of a democracy. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Yes, this statement is largely
agreeable. Elections are the primary mechanism through which citizens exercise
their democratic rights — choosing representatives, holding them accountable,
and giving legitimacy to the government. Without periodic, free, and fair
elections, there can be no genuine representation, accountability, or equality
among citizens. Elections keep governments answerable to the people and allow
peaceful transfer of power. However, elections alone do not guarantee a healthy
democracy — factors like the rule of law, free press, independent judiciary,
and protection of fundamental rights are equally essential to sustain
democratic values between elections.
Q4. Explain at least
three differences between the national and state/regional political parties.
|
Basis |
National
Party |
State/Regional
Party |
|
Recognition
Criteria |
Must
secure ≥6% votes in 4+ states with 4 Lok Sabha seats, OR ≥2% Lok Sabha seats
from 3+ states, OR be a recognised state party in 4 states |
Must
secure ≥6% votes in a single state's Assembly/Lok Sabha election with minimum
seats won, or meet other single-state criteria |
|
Area
of Influence |
Contests
and has support across multiple states |
Concentrated
in one specific state or region |
|
Symbol |
Gets
the same reserved symbol across all states in India |
Symbol
is generally reserved only within that state |
|
Agenda |
Usually
addresses national issues alongside state issues |
Often
focuses primarily on regional/local issues and identity |
Q5. Why should you
vote? Arrange the following in descending order of your choice and discuss the
reasons.
(This is a
personal-opinion based activity; one reasonable ordering with justification is
given below — students may order differently with valid reasoning.)
- Strengthens democracy
– Voting is the foundation that keeps the democratic system alive and
functioning.
- Opportunity to choose my
representative – Directly allows citizens to
select who governs and represents them.
- Opportunity to change the
non-performing representative – Ensures
accountability by allowing removal of ineffective leaders.
- Makes me a responsible person
– Voting cultivates a sense of civic duty and responsibility.
(Any logical order is
acceptable as long as reasons are clearly explained.)
Q6. What is the
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative of the ECI? Explain the objectives
and the necessity of conducting SIR.
SIR (Special
Intensive Revision) is an ECI initiative that involves updating,
verifying, and correcting electoral rolls in a thorough manner.
Objectives:
- Ensure no eligible citizen is
left out of the electoral roll.
- Ensure no ineligible person is
included in the roll.
- Add new voters,
especially young citizens who have just turned 18 and may otherwise be
missed.
- Delete names
of voters who have died, changed residence, been duplicately enrolled, or
become permanently untraceable.
- Provide an opportunity for claims
and objections before the final roll is published.
Necessity:
Since only those whose names appear on the electoral roll can vote, an outdated
or inaccurate roll would disenfranchise eligible citizens or allow fraudulent
voting by ineligible/duplicate entries. SIR is therefore essential to maintain
the accuracy, inclusiveness, and integrity of India's electoral rolls,
which is the very foundation of free and fair elections.
Q7. Match the
political party name with its symbol.
|
Political
Party |
Symbol |
|
Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) |
Broom |
|
Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) |
Lotus |
|
Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) |
Elephant |
|
Communist
Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] |
Hammer,
Sickle and Star |
|
Indian
National Congress (INC) |
Hand |
|
National
People's Party (NPP) |
Book |
Q8. Case Study —
Ishani and her family at the polling station
a. What initiatives
were taken by the ECI to enable the voters to cast their vote?
- Online voter registration portal.
- Police security at the polling
station.
- Wheelchair facility and volunteer
assistance for Ishani's disabled brother.
- VVPAT slip display for vote
verification.
- Home voting facility for elderly
citizens (used by the 89-year-old grandmother).
b. If Ishani was
allowed to vote without her Voter ID/Aadhaar card, which other document might
she have carried? She could have carried any other
ECI-approved identity document, such as a Passport, Driving Licence, PAN
Card, or her EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) details verified through the
Voter Helpline App, or she may have been identified through the electoral
roll photograph itself at the booth.
c. Cite examples of
violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
- Wall writing and campaign posters
pasted everywhere in the local market, potentially without proper permission.
- Large groups distributing
pamphlets and raising slogans in a public marketplace close to
polling day — such campaigning activities are typically restricted within
48 hours before polling ("election silence period").
d. Give a suitable
title to the passage. "A First-Time Voter's Journey:
Ishani's Experience of Inclusive and Fair Elections" (or similar —
e.g., "My First Vote").
e. Find out how the
police and army personnel cast their votes. Police and armed
forces personnel, since they are on election duty or posted away from their
home constituency, vote as "service voters" through the Electronically
Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS), which allows them to receive and
cast their ballots electronically from their location of duty.
Q9. Comparative chart
of three countries — Political and Economic Dimensions
a. What is the
difference between having a voting right in a country with a multi-party system
and another with a single-party system?
In a multi-party system (Country
A), voters have genuine choice among multiple parties with different
ideologies and programmes, enabling real competition, accountability, and the
possibility of changing the government if voters are dissatisfied. In a single-party
system (Country B), although elections and voting rights exist, there is no
real alternative choice — voters can only vote for the one party, which
limits genuine political competition, accountability, and representation of
diverse viewpoints.
b. In which of the above
countries would you like to stay and why? (Open-ended/personal
opinion question — a sample answer:) I would prefer to stay in Country A,
because despite having only an "average" standard of living, it
offers a multi-party democratic system with genuine voting rights and
choice. Political freedom, competition, and accountability are important for
long-term citizen empowerment, even if economic prosperity is comparatively
lower than in Countries B or C. (Students may reasonably choose differently
if they justify their choice with valid reasoning about the trade-off between
political freedom and economic standard of living.)
Q10. What are the
challenges to conducting free and fair elections?
- Misinformation and fake news,
especially spread through social media/digital platforms.
- Intimidation
of voters or candidates.
- Use of money power and muscle
power to influence voters.
- Appeals on the basis of religion,
caste, race, community, or language (violating RPA
1951).
- Managing elections across diverse
terrains, remote areas, and huge voter populations.
- Ensuring accessibility for
PwDs, senior citizens, and other vulnerable groups.
- Maintaining accurate and
updated electoral rolls.
- Preventing violations of the Model
Code of Conduct.
- Ensuring security and law and
order during polling.
(These are addressed
through RPA 1950/1951, the Model Code of Conduct, EVMs, VVPAT, and voter
awareness campaigns.)
Q11. On the Stage —
Role Play (School Elections) (Activity-based —
no fixed answer. Students perform roles of Election Commissioner, Returning
Officer, Polling Agent, Candidate, Campaigner, Polling Officer, Police Personnel,
and Journalist to simulate a free, fair, and transparent school election for
Head Girl, Head Boy, and Sports Captain.)
Q12. Make
videos/audios on topics like "My Vote My Nation", "No Voter to
be Left Behind", "How to Eliminate the Ill of Money Power".
(Activity-based — creative project; no fixed textbook answer.)
Q13. Comparative
chart of a political party's last two State Assembly elections.
(Activity-based — requires research from ECI website, party manifestos, and
newspapers; no fixed textbook answer. Students should present: manifesto
promises, % votes polled, seats won, number of women candidates who contested,
and number of women elected, for both elections, citing sources.)
Q14. Do you think
'One Nation, One Election' can improve the efficiency of the electoral process?
(Open-ended
debate-based question — sample balanced points for both sides:)
Potential Advantages:
- Reduces the frequency and cost
of conducting separate elections repeatedly.
- Minimises disruption caused by the
Model Code of Conduct being in force frequently, which can delay
governance and policy decisions.
- Reduces the burden on security
forces, government machinery, and teachers (who are often deployed for
election duty).
- May increase voter turnout
due to a single, focused election period.
Potential
Limitations:
- Practically difficult to synchronise
terms of the Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies.
- May reduce the focus on local/state-specific
issues, as national issues could dominate campaigning.
- Concerns about excessive
centralisation of power and its impact on federalism.
- Complications if a state
government collapses mid-term — unclear how re-elections would be
handled without disrupting the "one nation" cycle.
(Students should
present balanced arguments from both groups' perspectives as directed in the
activity.)
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·
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