ITL Public School

HAND OUTS (2016-17)

ELECTORAL POLITICS

Class : IX Subject: Political Science

Instructions:
For 1 mark questions write one line and underline the Key word.
For 3 mark question give three points and each points should be framed into one proper sentence or two
For five mark questions at least five points are to be there again frame each of these points to be framed in to one
proper sentence or two.
For each questions value points are given from the content frame the sentences of your own:
Highlighted points are value points

ELECTIONS
A mechanism by which people choose their representatives at regular intervals and change
the representatives if they wish to do so. This mechanism is called election.
Need for elections

1. rule of the people is not possible in any large country

2. Not possible for everyone to have the time and knowledge to take decisions on all matters.
3. In most democracies people rule through their representatives.
Choices of the voters
1. They can choose representatives who will make laws for them.
2. They can choose leaders who will form the government and take major decisions.
3. They can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and law making.

A simple list of the minimum conditions of a democratic election

1. Everyone should be able to choose.- one person , one vote , one value
2. Choice- Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer some real
choice to the voters.
3. Elections to be held at Regular intervals
4. Candidate preferred should be elected
5. Elections to be conducted in free and fair manner
Merits and Demerits of electoral or political competition

Demerits:
1. It creates a sense of disunity and ‘factionalism’ in every locality.
2. Different political parties and leaders often level allegations against one another.
3. Parties and candidate soften use dirty tricks to win elections.
4. Some good people who may wish to serve the country do not enter this competition.
5. They do not like the idea of being dragged into unhealthy competition.
Merits
1. This system works better in the long run.
2. In a way it tries to improve the knowledge and character of political leaders.
3. Political leaders are rewarded for serving the people and punished for not doing so.
4. So if a political party is motivated only by desire to be in power, even then it will be forced to
serve the people.
5. Political competition may cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally helps to force political
parties and leaders to serve the people.
 Procedure of Elections in India
Area – based division - Electoral constituencies
1. The country is divided into different areas based on population for the purpose of elections.
2. These areas are called electoral constituencies.
3. For Lok Sabha elections, the country is divided into 543 constituencies.

Reservation in Elections
1. Some constituencies are reserved for people who belong to the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes.
2. In a reserved constituency only someone who belongs to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled
Tribes can stand for elections.
3. At present we have 84 seats for scheduled Castes and 47 seats for Scheduled Tribes
4. This has been extended for Other Backward Classes OBCs in the local level government as
well.
5. The proportion of seats reserved varies from state to state.
6. One-third of the seats are reserved in rural and urban local bodies for women candidates.
Need for Reserved Constituencies

1. Certain weaker sections may not stand a good chance to get elected to the Lok Sabha and the
state Legislative Assemblies.
2. They may not have the required resources, education and contacts to contest and win elections
against others.
3. Those who are influential and resourceful may prevent them from winning elections.
4. Our Parliament and Assemblies would be deprived of the voice of a significant section of our
population.
5. That would make our democracy less representative and less democratic

Voters’ list or Electoral Roll

The list of those who are eligible to vote is prepared much before the election and given to
everyone. This list is officially called Electoral Roll and is commonly known as the Voters’ List.

Practical implementation of Universal Adult Franchise

1. In our country, all the citizens aged18 years and above can vote in an election.
2. Every citizen has the right to vote, regardless of his or her caste, religion or gender.
3. Some criminal sane persons with unsound mind can be denied the right to vote, but only in
rare situations.
4. In the last few years a new system of Election Photo Identity Card [EPIC] has been introduced.
5. The government has tried to give this card to every person on the voters list.

Updating of Voter’s List Before Every Election

1. It is the responsibility of the government to get the names of all the eligible voters put on the
voters’ list.
2. As new persons attain voting age names are added to the voters’ list.
3. Names of those who move out of a place or those who are dead are deleted.
4. A complete revision of the list takes place every five years.

Nomination of candidates
1. Anyone who can be a voter can also become a candidate in elections.
2. In order to be a candidate the minimum age is 25years,
3. Every person who wishes to contest an election has to fill a ‘nomination form’ and give
some money as ‘security deposit’.
 Legal declaration introduced by the Supreme Court for filing Nomination papers.

1. Legal declaration, giving full details of Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate;
2. Legal declaration, giving full details of Details of the assets and liabilities of the candidate and
his or her family
3. Legal declaration, giving full details of Education qualifications of the candidate.

Why is there no educational qualification for candidates to conduct elections?

1. Relevant qualification for being an MLA or an MP is the ability to understand people’s

concerns, problems and to represent their interests.
2. Even if education was relevant, it should be left to the people to decide how much importance
they give to educational qualifications.
3. In our country putting an educational qualification would go against the spirit of democracy.
4. Majority of the country’s citizens would be deprived of the right to contest elections (with poor
literacy rate)

Election Campaign
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.

Need For Campaigning

1. Necessary to have a free and open discussion about whom is a better representative,
2. Comparison - Which party will make a better government or what is a good policy.
3. Political parties try to focus public attention on some big issues.
4. They want to attract the public to that issue and get them to vote for their party on that basis.
5. During this period the candidates contact their voters, political leaders
6. address election meetings
7. Political parties mobilize their supporters.

Rules for election campaign for fair and equal chance to compete
OR
Model Code of Conduct for election campaigns

According to our election law,

1. No party or candidate can bribe or threaten voters.
2. No party or candidate can appeal to them in the name of caste or religion.
3. No party or candidate can use government resources for election campaign; and
4. According to our election law, no party or candidate can spend more than Rs. 25 lakh in a
constituency for a Lok Sabha election or Rs. 10 lakh in a constituency in an Assembly
election.
5. No party or candidate can use any place of worship for election propaganda.
6. No party or candidate use government vehicles, aircrafts and officials for elections; and
7. Once elections are announced, Ministers shall not lay foundation stones of any new projects,
take any big policy decisions or make any promises of providing public facilities.
Polling and counting of votes
1. 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.
2. Every person whose name is on the voters’ list can go to a nearby ‘polling booth’, and cast
vote.
3. Now a day’s electronic voting machines (EVM) are used to record votes. The machine shows
the names of the candidates and the party symbols.
4. 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.
5. The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared
elected

WHAT MAKES ELECTIONS IN INDIA DEMOCRATIC?

Election Commission
∑ An independent and powerful commission appointed by the President of India to
conduct free and fair election is called Election Commission.
∑ The commission has three members and once they are appointed, they are not
answerable to the President or the government.

Need For Independent EC

1. Inclusion of false names and exclusion of genuine names in the voters’ list
2. Misuse of government facilities and officials by the ruling party
3. Excessive use of money by rich candidates and big parties
4. Intimidation of voters and rigging on the polling day

Powers and functions of the Election Commission of India.

1. EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections from the announcement
of elections to the declaration of results.
2. It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
3. 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.
4. When on election duty, government officers work under the control of the EC and not the
government.

Popular participation of people in Election

1. People’s participation in election is usually measured by voter turnout figures.
2. Turnout indicates the percent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote. In India the
turnout has either remained stable or actually gone up.
3. In India the poor, illiterate and underprivileged people vote in larger proportion as
compared to the rich and privileged sections.
4. 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.
5. The interest of voters in election related activities has been increasing over the years.
6. During the 2004 elections, more than one third voters took part in campaign-related activities.
7. More than half of the people are being close to one or the other political party.

Acceptance of election outcome by the candidates and parties

1. The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the national and state level.
2. In every two out of the three elections held in the last fifteen years, the ruling party lost.
3. In India about half of the sitting MPs or MLAs lose elections.
4. Candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money on ‘buying votes’ and those with
known criminal connections often lose elections.
5. Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes are usually accepted as ‘people’s
verdict’ by the defeated party.

Challenges to free and fair elections in India

1. Money Power- 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.
2. Muscle power- candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the
electoral race and to secure a ‘ticket’ from major parties.
3. Dynastic Succession- Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to
relatives from these families.
4. Little Choice- 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.
5. Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage compared to bigger
parties.