Can we say that Indian elections are democratic? To answer this, we need to explore how elections are held in India. Elections are conducted for two major bodies: Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly). These elections take place regularly every five years.
After five years, the elected representatives' term comes to an end, and the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha is dissolved. All elections occur simultaneously across constituencies, either on the same day or within a few days. This is termed a general election. Conversely, if an election is held for a single constituency due to a vacancy from resignation or death, it's called a by-election. Here, our focus will be on general elections.
When voters in Haryana elect 90 MLAs, do they vote for all of them? No, it's an area-based system of representation. India is divided into various areas, known as electoral constituencies. Each area elects one representative.
For Lok Sabha elections, India comprises 543 constituencies. The representative is called a Member of Parliament (MP). The Constitution mandates that every vote has equal value; hence, each constituency should have a roughly equal population.
Similarly, states have specific numbers of Assembly constituencies. Here, the elected representative is termed a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).
The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to vote and to stand for election. However, it also acknowledges that certain weaker sections may struggle to compete effectively in elections. They might lack resources or education, giving a disadvantage against more resourceful candidates. This could lead to their voices being absent in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, diluting our democracy.
To mitigate this, the Constitution ensures a system of reserved constituencies for weaker sections. Designated constituencies are reserved for persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
As of January 26, 2019, 84 seats are reserved for SC and 47 for ST in the Lok Sabha. This reservation is proportional to their population share.
This system of reservation also applies to Other Backward Classes (OBC) at the district and local levels, with one-third of seats in rural and urban local bodies reserved for women candidates.
1. What determines how often elections are held in India?
2. What is a by-election?
3. How many constituencies are there for Lok Sabha elections?
4. Who is an MLA?
5. What do reserved constituencies ensure in elections?
1. Scenario: A rural village faces hardship with no representation in the local body.
2. Scenario: A state holds a by-election due to an MLA's resignation.
3. Scenario: An SC candidate wants to run for elections in an SC reserved constituency.
4. Scenario: A student is learning about democratic rights.
5. Scenario: A political party claims to have won 60 seats in an election.
This summary provides a structured overview of the electoral system in India, emphasizing key points and scenarios to engage students effectively. Remember, understanding these concepts is vital for being an informed citizen in a democratic society!
