ELECTORAL POLITICS

Q1. What are the essential conditions required for an election to be considered democratic?

ANS:

1. First, everyone should be able to choose. This means that everyone should have one
vote and every vote should have equal value.
2. 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.
3. Third, the choice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held
regularly after every few years.
4. Fourth, the candidate preferred by the people should get elected.
5. Fifth, elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can
choose as they really wish

Q2. What are the specific details that candidates are required to include in the legal
declaration mandated by the Supreme Court's recent directive?
ANS: Every candidate has to make a legal declaration, giving full details of:

1. Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate;

Q3. Why is there no educational qualification prescribed for the political leaders who hold
such an important position of governing the country?

ANS:

1. Educational qualifications are not relevant to all kinds of jobs. The relevant
qualification for being an MLA or an MP is the ability to understand people’s
concerns, problems and to represent their interests. Whether they can do so or not is
examined by lakhs of examiners — their voters — after every five years.
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 for yet another reason. It would mean depriving a majority of the country’s
citizens the right to contest elections.
4. If, for example, a graduate degree like B.A., [Link] or [Link] was made compulsory
for candidates, more than 90 per cent of the citizens will become ineligible to contest
elections
Q4. What is a reserved constituency? How does it strengthen democracy?

ANS: RESERVED CONSTITUENCY:

1. A special system of reserved constituencies for the weaker sections in which 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.
2. Similarly only those belonging to the Scheduled Tribes can contest an election from a
constituency reserved for ST.
3. 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. Thus the reserved seats for SC and ST do not take
away the legitimate share of any other social group
It strengthen democracy as:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. If that happens, our Parliament and Assemblies would be deprived of the voice of
a significant section of our population.

Q 5. Explain the role, functions, and importance of the Election Commission in ensuring free
and fair elections in India.

ANS: Role of the Election Commission

In our country elections are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election
Commission (EC). It enjoys the same kind of independence that the judiciary enjoys. The
Chief Election Commissioner has the powers as the Election Commission of India.

Functions of the Election Commission

• 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.
 • When election officials come to the opinion that polling was not fair in some booths
or even an entire constituency, they order a repoll.

Importance of the Election Commission

Election Commission has begun to exercise all its powers and even expand them. It is very
common now for the Election Commission to reprimand the government and administration
for their lapses. The ruling parties often do not like what the EC does. But they have to obey.
This would not have happened if the EC was not independent and powerful.

Q6. What are the key limitations and challenges that Indian elections face in ensuring free
and fair elections?

ANS:

1. 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. 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. <
3. Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives
from these families.
4. 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

Q7. Examine the contrasting scenes depicted in the cartoon and explain what message it
conveys about the behaviour of political leaders before and after elections.
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Q8. List all the steps in the form of a flowchart that outlines the entire election process, from
the start to the final outcome.

Election Process Flowchart

1. Announcement of Elections
↓

2. Preparation of Voters’ List (Electoral Roll)

3. Filing of Nominations by Candidates

5. Election Campaigning
↓

6. Implementation of Model Code of Conduct

7. Polling (Casting of Votes at Polling Booths)

8. Use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) / Ballot

12. Formation of Government