Tag: election in indian democracy

India is the largest democracy in the world and its constitution grants to its people a wide number of rights. In India, elections are held under the direct control of the Election Commission of India which is an autonomous Constitutional body and the right to vote is based on the principle of Universal Adult Franchise. The success of election is based upon the active participation of people in maximum numbers, however, voting cannot be compelled and this right is exercised by the citizens as per their discretion. Hence, saying that India has the largest number of voters in the world does not quantify the stronghold of Indian elections to be democratic.

Earlier women were not allowed to participate in elections. They were kept deprived of exercising this civil right. Women have always been considered inferior to man and they were confined to household chores. It was during world wars when women contributed equally to that of men. The potential of women was internationally respected and recognized. The argument that is given against women's suffrage is that it will hinder them in taking care of their family and children if they cast votes and come into power to hold government posts.

An election is a decision making process by which people get to choose their representative. It is a test to evaluate the functioning of government and indicates the policies, representatives would undertake. But elections cannot evaluate the performance of judiciary.

In Gram Panchayat elections, all the villagers who are 18 years or more in age can vote. The villagers who are 21 years or more can contest the elections on fulfilling other requirements.

The principle of communal representation which was accepted under the Morley-Minto Reforms was retained and was pushed further in the Government of India Act, 1919. After this, some seats were reserved for Muslims in different councils, while in the Punjab Council, some seats were reserved for Sikh community.

Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. India’s Upper House election (Rajya Sabha) is actually based on Proportional Representation System. In Separate Electorate System, the community to which the electorate belongs would choose their own leaders via an election in which the candidates of only their community would be allowed to contest and only their community members would vote. In Reservation of Seats, the candidates in the election can belong only to a particular community for which it is reserved.

He was not eligible to vote as he was not yet 21 years of age. In 1980, a minimum age for voting was 21 years.

On August 1935, the Government of India passed longest act i.e. Government of India Act 1935 under the British Act of Parliament. This act gave the provision for separate electorates for Anglo-Indians and Indian Christians.

Republic is a type of state. In republic state, supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. It has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

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 Rs. 25 lakh in a constituency for a Lok Sabha election or Rs. 10 lakh in a constituency in an Assembly election.