parliamentary election

8/9/2019 Parliamentary Election

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There was a vacancy of a dwarf in the circus. Applicants included a six foottall young man whose claim to being a dwarf was based on his familyhistory. His argument was that since he belonged to a family of dwarfs, hehad a genuine right to call himself a dwarf. The manager of the circus hadan hearty laugh. A similar joke is being enacted with all seriousness on the

people of India. The country needs some towering personalities to lead herbut all that she can get are some dwarfs who are trying desperately toprove that they are not dwarfs but are great men/women.

General Elections to the Parliament are critical for all political creatures inthe Indian political circus. Even before the first vote is cast, selection ofcandidates is a difficult test that Indian political parties and leaders passthrough. On one hand, selecting the right candidates is linked to thesurvival of the party as a political entity; on the other hand, selection as acandidate by a party is a matter of political life and death for any person.

Given this sort of pressures, it would seem natural that the political partiesadopt a systematic, democratic, transparent approach towards candidateselection. The reality is exactly opposite. All Indian political parties adopt adisorganized, opaque, ad-hoc approach which is based more on short-term internal group equations rather than on qualities and capabilities ofthe candidate.

Indian political circus is dominated by two national parties - Indian NationalCongress (called Congress) and Bharatiya Janata Party (called BJP).Congress has dominated the political scene during the past five decades,

having been in power for more than four decades. Congress had thebenefit of stalwarts like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi whosetowering personality overshadowed every other person in the party. Duringthe Nehru-Indira era, the selection of candidates (also called ticketdistribution) was centered in the hands of Nehru/Indira, who kept a vice-like grip on the party organization throughout the country and had apersonal knowledge of the key persons in each region of the country.Nehru and Indira developed the ticket distribution exercise as aninstrument to strengthen their grip on the party by rewarding the faithfulsand by punishing those whose loyalty was suspect. In the hands ofexemplary politicians like Nehru and Indira, the instrument proved to bereally effective in controlling the cadres. This led to development of amodel for selection of candidates, which was adopted not only byCongress but also by all other political parties in India. However, in theabsence of a strong personality like Nehru or Indira, the deft handling thatcharacterized the selection of candidates by the Congress in Nehru-Indiraera has been replaced by a mockery. It almost seems that a classic fascistdrama is being enacted with comical actors.


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Selection of candidates for the forthcoming general elections has stirred ahornet's nest in various parties. Congress seems to be the worst affectedof the lot. Angry scenes have been witnessed at the Congressheadquarters at Delhi, where a Congress worker tried to immolate himself.The rumours that some senior Congress leaders accepted bribes for

helping in procurement of party tickets has added fuel to fire. In thisatmosphere of dis-satisfaction, mutual distrust and cynicism, theimmaturity of Congress President Sonia Gandhi has aggravated theproblems. The suspense associated with her own constituency and the lastminute mid-air drama of helicopter changing course and her going toBellary, Karnataka instead of Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh has onlyunderscored her lack of confidence. Such a shaky leader trying to adoptthe style of Nehru and Indira can be a sure recipe for problems.

BJP leadership finds itself in a different set of problems. Atalbihari

Vajpayee, the present Prime Minister, seems to be riding on the crest of apopularity wave. This has led his party BJP to indulge in daydreaming ofcoming back to power with a thumping majority. A day-dreamer's level ofconfidence knows no bounds. BJP almost seems to believe that if it putsup even a lamp-post as a candidate, the lamp-post will win the electionshands down. With such a mindset, considerations of good-bad, capable-incapable, popular-unpopular etc. become irrelevant. Group equations andpersonal loyalties become the key considerations and intrigue becomesthe order of the day. Talks of internal democracy and transparency aretreated as futile chatter both in BJP and Congress. BJP is further plagued

by its love for old faces that have long ago ceased to find favour with thepeople. BJP's internal structures are so organized that the new faces thatcome up are generally the ones that are firmly tied to the apron strings ofthis or that senior leader. An exit policy that recognizes death as the onlypossible reason for quitting politics coupled with a disregard of all claimsbased on talent and capabilities has often forced capable persons to leaveBJP. It is no exaggeration to say that BJP (and Congress too) faces asevere crunch in terms of quality persons in its middle and junior levelleadership.

It may well be asked - why should anyone bother about the internalstructures of political parties. Some politicians have often taken the viewthat no one has a right to know anything about matters that are internal totheir party. A political party is not a private club established for the benefitof its members. In a democracy the political parties collectively exercise amonopoly on the reins of power. It can be said that the political parties arethe trustees of democracy. An erosion of democratic values in the internalfunctioning of political parties is an indicator of impending dangers to


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democracy. Society expects political parties to act as nurseries for thefuture rulers of the society. It is the duty of political parties to identify,nurture and develop talent for this purpose and to present the bestpossible alternatives to the people. If the political parties fail in this dutyand present candidates who are incapable, dishonest, corrupt or

unpopular, the political parties lose their credibility and their moral right toact as nurseries for future rulers of the country. Such a situation willnaturally lead to the weakening of democracy. The fall in credibility ofIndian political parties witnessed during the past few years should hencecause worries to all persons who are concerned about growth ofdemocracy on the surface of earth.

In no other major democratic country in the world, the electedrepresentatives are made puppets of the party bosses, the way that it isdone in India. There exists legislation to grant statutory power to the whips

issued by party bosses to party legislators and parliamentarians. In theabsence of internal democracy within political parties, this reduces thedemocratic setup to a "whipocracy". Combining this with an ad-hoc andopaque system of selection of candidates by the political parties,"whipocracy" seems to be nothing but nascent fascism.

Selection of candidates by political parties is neither just an issue related tothe political career of some aspirants nor is it an exercise to increase theintra-party strength of some political lords. It is an exercise that decides thefuture of the country as well as the future of democracy in the country.

Hence, if democracy has to flourish in India, the political parties of Indiamust change their ways and adopt selection procedures that aretransparent and are based on objective assessment of capabilities. Indianpolitical leaders must realize that their existence as well the existence ofdemocracy in India depends on their shedding the Nehru-Indira mentalityof treating the party as their personal fiefdom. It is essential that they startlooking at political parties as social institutions created in the interest ofsociety and nation.

Needless to say that this sort of outlook would require persons who canrise above petty self-interest and look at society, nation and the world atlarge. Isn't that what being great is all about? India needs such greatleaders and not dwarfs who are using all sorts of props to convey animpression of greatness. The manager of the circus could laugh at the sixfoot dwarf but for the people of India, dwarfs masquerading as greatleaders is no laughing matter. They must choose one of the alternativespresented.


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VT JOSHI and ANIL CHAWLA


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IDA CRPD FORUMSTEERING COMMITTEE

Disabled Peoples' International, Inclusion International,International Federation of Hard of Hearing People,

Rehabilitation International, World Blind Union,

World Federation of the Deaf, World Federation of the DeafBlind,World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry,Arab Organization of Disabled People, European Disability Forum,

African Decade Secretariat, Asia Pacific Disability Forum,Red Latinoamericana de Organizaciones no Gubernamentales de Personas

con Discapacidad y sus familias (RIADIS)Handicap International, Survivor Corps

ANNEX ACriteria to ensure the nomination of the highest qualified experts

to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Criteria for the Process

1. All states parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities (CRPD) should nominate a candidate.

Ensuring that experts are chosen is essential to guaranteeing that election isbased on expertise and not conducted from a pre-determined slate of candidates

who will simply be endorsed by traditional political structures.

The IDA CRPD Forum calls on states to base their choice first and foremostupon the nominees expertise, and abandon the practice of supporting nomineessolely in accordance with political agreements. For that to happen, the broadestpool of qualified candidates must exist, and therefore each state party mustnominate a qualified candidate (see separate list of qualifications).

2. States should ensure transparency and publicity in the selectionprocess, comprised of two stages: nomination of a candidate State Party

on the national level, and selection of members of the committee by StatesParties from among nominated candidates (Article 33(5)).

Nomination

Based on Checklist to ensure the nomination of the highest qualified candidates for judges for the

International Criminal Court, prepared by Amnesty International, 2002.


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i. The nomination process as a whole should be advertised widelyand in advance.

To ensure transparency and a broad range of applications from people whomeet the criteria, the nomination process must be public. The process will be

of interest to many members and organizations of civil society who will wantto follow and, where appropriate, participate in the process. It is also a matterof public interest.

In order to obtain a broad range of applications from qualified candidates,States must advertise the process publicly, as well as in publications chosento target those who may meet the criteria.

The advertisement on the nomination process should reach all potentialapplicants, including through national newspapers and other media, andthrough dissemination to relevant sectors of civil society, in particular

organizations of persons with disabilities (DPOs), NGOs, academics, legaladvocates and community-based organizations.

The nomination process should also be advertised with sufficient time fornews of the procedure to circulate and for applicants to apply.

ii. The advertisement should include clear criteria for selectingcandidates.

The advertisement should clearly set out the criteria for experts set out inArticle 34(3) and (4) of the CRPD, and indicate that these are requisite criteria

and that candidates with such expertise are encouraged to apply.

The IDA CRPD Forum has prepared criteria for selection of candidates inaccordance with the qualifications demanded of them by the CRPD (Articles34(3) and (4)) and derived from the principles of Convention as a whole,which are attached to this document as Annex B. In compliance with theCRPD principle of consultation, the IDA CRPD Forum calls on States to usethese criteria as a basis for qualification of candidates and selection ofnominees from among them.

iii. The names and qualifications of those making the selectionshould be made public.

To increase transparency of the process, the names and qualifications of thepeople who will be selecting the nominees should be broadly publicized,preferably in the advertisement used to attract potential nominees.

iv. Nominations should be promptly made public.


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Selection of the nominee from among the candidates should promptly bemade public through the means of advertisement mentioned above. This willenable civil society, in particular DPOs, from around the world, to prepare forand participate in the next stages, of election of Committee members fromamong the nominees.

Selection from among nominated candidates

v. The qualifications of nominated candidates should be made public.

Once nomination of a candidate has been made on the national level, stepsshould be taken to ensure continued transparency. States Parties are stronglyencouraged to promptly submit their nomination, as well as the qualificationsand CV of the nominated candidate, to the UN Secretariat for this Conventionfor posting on the UN website.

vi. Selection should be made based on qualifications and higheststandards

In choosing from among the nominated candidates, States Parties shouldconsider the extent to which candidates meet the qualification requirementsset by the Convention and the criteria of expertise set out in Annex B.

3. In accordance with Article 34(3) of the CRPD, States should consultthroughout the process with persons with disabilities through theirrepresentative organizations; in particular:

i. in determining the criteria for selection of candidates;

States Parties are encouraged to consult with national DPOs regardingadditional criteria from the national context, which could be relevant to theselection of a suitable candidate in addition to the criteria suggested (AnnexB).

ii. in determining the content of the advertisement inviting candidatesto apply;

Before issuing the advertisement, States should seek comments and inputfrom DPOs on the content of the advertisement.

iii. by encouraging DPOs to assist states in obtaining applications fromhighly qualified candidates who meet the criteria;

Assistance from civil society is essential to identify and to encourageapplications from highly qualified candidates. States should encourage civil


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society to circulate the advertisement as widely as possible and to requestpersons who meet the criteria to apply. In particular, States should encourageDPOs to help obtain applications from candidates recognized for competencein applying the principles of the CRPD.

iv. by consulting with DPOs on applicants skills and experience andhow they meet the criteria.

Appropriate mechanisms should be put in place whereby civil society andothers can provide substantive comments and information about an applicant.This information should be public and provided to the applicant in advance ofselection or interview so that the applicant is able to reply or provide furtherinformation. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizationswill be able to provide important information regarding applicants. Inaccordance with the States obligation to consult with DPOs in the selectionprocess, due weight should be accorded to their comments.

v. by considering the comments of civil society when selectingmembers from among nominated candidates in the Conference ofStates Parties.

The last crucial stage is the voting on members of the Committee from amongthe nominated candidates, at the Conference of States Parties. In accordancewith the CRPD, States Parties should consider the comments of civil societyon the candidates qualifications and expertise, in particular those of peoplewith disabilities and their allies represented by the IDA CRPD Forum, in linewith the close consultation with the IDC throughout the negotiation process.


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Commission on Presidential Debates' Nonpartisan Candidate Selection Criteria for

2008 General Election Debate Participation

A. Introduction

The mission of the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (the "CPD") is toensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that general election debates are

held every four years between the leading candidates for the offices of President andVice President of the United States. The CPD sponsored a series of such debates in

each of the past five general elections, and has begun the planning, preparation, andorganization of a series of nonpartisan debates among leading candidates for the

Presidency and Vice Presidency in the 2008 general election. As in prior years, theCPD's voter educational activities will be conducted in accordance with all applicable

legal requirements, including regulations of the Federal Election Commission thatrequire that debate sponsors extend invitations to debate based on the application of

"pre-established, objective" criteria.

The goal of the CPD's debates is to afford the members of the public an opportunityto sharpen their views, in a focused debate format, of those candidates from among

whom the next President and Vice President will be selected. In each of the last five

elections, there were scores of declared candidates for the Presidency, excludingthose seeking the nomination of one of the major parties. During the course of the

campaign, the candidates are afforded many opportunities in a great variety offorums to advance their candidacies. In order most fully and fairly to achieve the

educational purposes of its debates, the CPD has developed nonpartisan, objectivecriteria upon which it will base its decisions regarding selection of the candidates to

participate in its 2008 debates. The purpose of the criteria is to identify thosecandidates who have achieved a level of electoral support such that they realistically

are considered to be among the principal rivals for the Presidency.In connection with the 2008 general election, the CPD will apply three criteria to

each declared candidate to determine whether that candidate qualifies for inclusionin one or more of the CPD's debates. The criteria are (1) constitutional eligibility, (2)

ballot access, and (3) electoral support. All three criteria must be satisfied before acandidate will be invited to debate.

B. 2008 Nonpartisan Selection Criteria

The CPD's nonpartisan criteria for selecting candidates to participate in the 2008general election presidential debates are:

1. Evidence of Constitutional Eligibility

The CPD's first criterion requires satisfaction of the eligibility requirements

of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. The requirements are satisfiedif the candidate:

a. is at least 35 years of age;

b. is a Natural Born Citizen of the United States and a resident ofthe United States for fourteen years; and

c. is otherwise eligible under the Constitution.


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2. Evidence of Ballot Access

The CPD's second criterion requires that the candidate qualify to have

his/her name appear on enough state ballots to have at least a

mathematical chance of securing an Electoral College majority in the 2008general election. Under the Constitution, the candidate who receives a

majority of votes in the Electoral College, at least 270 votes, is electedPresident regardless of the popular vote.

3. Indicators of Electoral Support

The CPD's third criterion requires that the candidate have a level of

support of at least 15% (fifteen percent) of the national electorate asdetermined by five selected national public opinion polling organizations,

using the average of those organizations' most recent publicly-reportedresults at the time of the determination.

C. Application of Criteria

CPD's determination with respect to participation in CPD's first-scheduled debate will

be made after Labor Day 2008, but sufficiently in advance of the first-scheduleddebate to allow for orderly planning. Invitations to participate in the vice-presidentialdebate will be extended to the running mates of each of the presidential candidates

qualifying for participation in CPD's first presidential debate. Invitations to participatein the second and third of CPD's scheduled presidential debates will be based upon

satisfaction of the same multiple criteria prior to each debate.


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The eligibility criteria should be fixed for the candidates who want to contest elections. This was said bySatnam Singh Dhaliwal, president of Universal Human Rights Organisation (UHRO), while addressing apress conference here today.

Dhaliwal said, There is an eligibility criteria for the appointment of a class IV employee. His education, ageand capabilities are fixed and the time of retirement is also fixed. Even the criminal verification is also done.On the similar lines, there shall be some eligibility criteria for the candidates contesting elections. It is a

matter of grave concern that leaders who are elected in the Lok Sabha do not have to fulfill such conditions.Even an old and uneducated person becomes the leader and then formulates rules and regulations foroverall development of the country.

While Soorat Singh Khalsa, general secretary of the UHRO, said, In the first phase of Lok Sabha elections,many candidates with criminal background contested elections from different political parties. Suchcandidates should not be allowed to contest the elections.

Dhaliwal said that UHRO will file a Public Interest Litigation in Supreme Court to fix the eligibility criteria ofcandidates.

He further said that there shall be separate button in Electronic Voting Machine through which a voter notinterested in casting his/her vote should be able to give his/her suggestion and such suggestion should behanded over to the government.

Dhaliwal said that there should be some fixed time for fulfilling the promises made in the election manifestoof each party, failing which the registration of party should be cancelled.

When asked why they were saying all this late in the day because the 15th Lok Sabha elections had alreadybegun, Soorat Singh Khalsa said, We are late this time. But it would be an eye opener for the futureelections.


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To: Political Parties of India _ National, Regional, Local

To: The Political Parties of India (National, Regional and Local)

5Cs for - Clean,Credible,Competent,Corruption Free and Committed - Candidate

Dear Sirs/Madams,

I am a citizen of India seeking good governance. By signing this petition I am committedto setting aside labels of caste, creed, community and ideological differences to unite

with my fellow citizen in seeking good governance.

Very soon candidates from your parties will be campaigning in my constituency, visit my

village, my neighbourhood, my apartment block, and fold his/her hands at my doorstep,

seeking from me my most valuable possession as a citizen my vote.

Please note that I wish to be treated with the respect deserved by a citizen of India - not avote bank statistic. Therefore, my vote cannot be purchased with pouches of illicit liquorand Rs. 500 notes; it cannot be stolen at the polling booth and I will not squander it on

false promises. I shall invest my vote in good governance alone.

Before your candidates seek my vote, allow me to seek a commitment from all politicalparties to good governance for the greatest good of all.

Also, expected from all Parties is a commitment to arrive at a consensus on all issues inthe national interest specifically national security - irrespective of ideology.

The above commitments must reflect in the election manifesto of your parties.

Party candidates representing your parties for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Parliamentary

elections must comply with the following criteria:

Clean Image: free of any previous history or pending cases of criminal or economic

nature in any court of law in this country. Declaration of assets and all sources of income.

Credibility: possessing the credentials to represent a constituency with either a record of

service in the public domain and/or an expertise in a particular profession.

Competence: to represent the voice and concerns of his/her constituency on issues oflocal, national and international importance. Candidates selected in order to pander to

vote banks on the basis of caste, creed, community or business interests shall be deemed

unacceptable.

Corruption Free: with no history of corrupt practices or, the aiding and abettment of the

same in his/her professional or public life.


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Commitment to the principles of secularism enshrined in the Constitution of India

In the event that the candidates nominated by your parties - for any constituency - fail tocomply with the above criteria, citizens such as myself and fellow signatories of this

petition shall enjoy the following choices:

To recommend a candidate from within your respective parties to represent your party

for the constituency, complying with all of the above criteria.

To recommend to a political party the replacement of a standing representative who isin breach of the above criteria during his completed tenure as Member of Parliament.

Reserve the right to support an Independent candidate seeking election complying with

the above criteria

Reserve the right to nominate an Aam Aadmi candidate for each constituency, whowill seek election as an independent enjoying the support of the signatories belonging to

the same constituency.

Rather than devaluing my vote by voting against the candidates chosen by your politicalparties, I wish to cast my vote for good governance.

It is my endeavour to circulate this petition in every Indian language to every nook and

corner of this country, by email and on paper, across the internet and on foot, to solicit

thumbprint and signature.

I beseech you not to ignore the pleas of this petition. I look forward to your co-operation

and the opportunity to participate in bringing the change I wish to see in our great

democracy.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?5CLS09http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?5CLS09


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Dear Friends/ Citizens

Recently we have experienced very traumatic times when our belovedcountryhas been threatened both from beyond our borders and within.

Troubling times are upon us with Indian fighting Indian on grounds ofcaste,creed, community, region, language and culture for political advantageofthe few, putting at grave risk the many.

Corporate India has lost its ethical moorings underwriting the mayhemcreated by the political class for the singular pursuit of profit.

The sanctity of Parliament has been compromised by persons with criminalhistories a mile long; unable to debate on issues of nationalimportance,squandering crores of public money on un-conducted business in anunattended

Lok Sabha. Thereafter, our representatives enjoy the highest levels ofsecurity afraid of the citizens they represent.

Once again the Lok Sabha Elections are around the corner.

>From 1.2 billion people we have to choose 542 persons with impeccablecredentials to serve and provide leadership.

While we have enjoyed a far from impressive track record doing so, tilldate, another opportunity is upon us to make the difference that we havebeen seeking for so very long.

If we citizens have to bring the change then, we have to respect eachother's political differences and arrive at a consensus seeking goodgovernance from the political parties that represent us.

Please consider this an appeal from one Indian citizen toanother,settingaside religion, community, language caste etc.

May I request you to read the contents of the petition below and thenvisitthe link to sign it.

In order that this petition may receive the widest possible circulationandsignatures, may I request you to do the following:

- Translate it into any and every Indian language.

- If any individual, group or organisation wishes to replicate thepetition in an Indian language and place an electronic version on thepetition online website, please contact citizen.positive at

gmail.com. This
https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/urbanstudygrouphttps://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/urbanstudygrouphttps://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/urbanstudygrouphttps://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/urbanstudygroup


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is only to ensure that there is no duplication of the petition inany one

language.

- For those with no limited or internet access, please take a printout

of the petition and have the same signed, or thumb imprinted.

- For those groups, organisations etc, obtaining signatures on a hardcopy, please have a representative sign the petition, providing emailaddress,valid registration number of organisation and number of

signaturesobtained.

- For those groups of people with no internet access, the originalhard

copy may be sent to the, *Chief Election Commissioner*, *Election

Commission of India*, with photcopies to each of the poltical partiesmarked *" 5C's Criteria For Lok Sabha Candidates"* in a language of

yourchoice.

- The electronic version of the petition will also be sent to theElection Commission of India, with copies to each of the poltical

parties

Let's make the difference...

sincerely

Ranjan Kamath

____________________________________________________________________________________________

* The petition title is: 5C's for Lok Sabha Candidates.*

The petition URL is:http://www.PetitionOnline.com/5CLS09/petition.html

The petition is directed to: Political Parties of India _ National,Regional, Local

The start date is: .January 31st, 2009

The end date is: ..March 1, 2009

The petition statement says:

To: The Political Parties of India (National, Regional and Local)
http://www.petitiononline.com/5CLS09/petition.htmlhttp://www.petitiononline.com/5CLS09/petition.html


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*5C's for - Clean,Credible,Competent,**Corruption Free and Committed -Candidate*

Dear Sirs/Madams,

I am a citizen of India seeking good governance. By signing thispetition Iam committed to setting aside labels of caste, creed, community andideological differences to unite with my fellow citizen in seeking goodgovernance.

Very soon candidates from your parties will be campaigning in myconstituency, visit my village, my neighbourhood, my apartment block,andfold his/her hands at my doorstep, seeking from me my most valuablepossession as a citizen my vote.

Please note that I wish to be treated with the respect deserved by a

citizenof India - not a vote bank statistic. Therefore, my vote cannot bepurchasedwith pouches of illicit liquor and Rs. 500 notes; it cannot be stolenat thepolling booth and I will not squander it on false promises. I shallinvestmy vote in good governance alone.

Before your candidates seek my vote, allow me to seek a commitment fromallpolitical parties to good governance for the greatest good of all.

Also, expected from all Parties is a commitment to arrive at aconsensus onall issues in the national interest specifically national security -irrespective of ideology.

The above commitments must reflect in the election manifesto of yourparties.

Party candidates representing your parties for the forthcoming Lok SabhaParliamentary elections must comply with the following criteria:

Clean Image: free of any previous history or pending cases ofcriminal or economic nature in any court of law in this country.

Declarationof assets and all sources of income.

Credibility: possessing the credentials to represent aconstituencywith either a record of service in the public domain and/or anexpertise ina particular profession.


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Competence: to represent the voice and concerns of his/herconstituency on issues of local, national and international importance.Candidates selected in order to pander to vote banks on the basis ofcaste,creed, community or business interests shall be deemed unacceptable.

Corruption Free: with no history of corrupt practices or, theaidingand abettment of the same in his/her professional or public life.

Commitment to the principles of secularism enshrined in theConstitution of India

In the event that the candidates nominated by your parties - for anyconstituency - fail to comply with the above criteria, citizens such asmyself and fellow signatories of this petition shall enjoy the following

choices:

To recommend a candidate from within your respective parties torepresent your party for the constituency, complying with all of theabovecriteria.

To recommend to a political party the replacement of a standingrepresentative who is in breach of the above criteria during hiscompletedtenure as Member of Parliament.

Reserve the right to support an Independent candidate seekingelection complying with the above criteria

Reserve the right to nominate an 'Aam Aadmi' candidate for eachconstituency, who will seek election as an independent enjoying thesupportof the signatories belonging to the same constituency.

Rather than devaluing my vote by voting 'against' the candidates chosenbyyour political parties, I wish to cast my vote 'for' good governance.

It is my endeavour to circulate this petition in every Indian languageto

every nook and corner of this country, by email and on paper, across theinternet and on foot, to solicit thumbprint and signature.

I beseech you not to ignore the pleas of this petition. I look forwardtoyour co-operation and the opportunity to participate in bringing thechangeI wish to see in our great democracy.


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Signed


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This is a list of recognised political parties in India. Indiahas amulti-party system with

a predominance of small regional parties. Parties that wish to contest local, state or

national elections are required to be registered by theElection Commission of India (EC).

To gain recognition as a state party, the party must have some kind of political activityfor at least five continuous years, and send at least 4% of the state's quota to theLok

Sabha (India's Lower house), or 3.33% of members to the state assembly. If the above

conditions are not fulfilled, then a party may gain recognition by garnering not less than6% of the total votes in a state or national election, polled in by all its contesting

candidates. If a party is recognised in four or more states, it is automatically recognised

as a national party by the EC.

All parties contesting elections have to choose a symbol from a list of available symbolsoffered by the Election Commission. All 28 states along with theunion territoryof

Puducherry and theNational Capital Territory of Delhiusually have an elected

government unless President's rule is imposed under certain conditions.

Contents

[hide]

1 National

2 State

3 Notes 4 See also

5 References

[edit] National

Seven parties are recognised as national parties.[1] They are listed by name, together with

acronym, year of formation and the party leader.

SYMBOL NAME ACRONYM YEAR CHIEF

File:ECI-elephant.png

Bahujan Samaj Party BSP 1995 Mayawati

Bharatiya Janata Party BJP 1980 Rajnath SinghCommunist Party of India CPI 1925[1] A.B. Bardhan

Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) 1964 Prakash Karat

Indian National Congress INC 1885 Sonia Gandhi

Nationalist Congress Party NCP 1998 Sharad Pawar

Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD 1996Lalu Prasad

Yadav
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-party_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-party_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_Commission_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_Commission_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidhan_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_capital_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_capital_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_capital_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President's_rulehttp://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#National%23Nationalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#State%23Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#Notes%23Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#See_also%23See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#References%23Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#cite_note-eci-ge2009-0%23cite_note-eci-ge2009-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#cite_note-eci-ge2009-0%23cite_note-eci-ge2009-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=ECI-elephant.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=ECI-elephant.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahujan_Samaj_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayawatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatiya_Janata_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajnath_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#endnote_CPIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.B._Bardhanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_(Marxist)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prakash_Karathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_Congress_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharad_Pawarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Janata_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalu_Prasad_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalu_Prasad_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-party_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_Commission_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidhan_Sabhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_capital_territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President's_rulehttp://toggletoc%28%29/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#National%23Nationalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#State%23Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#Notes%23Noteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#See_also%23See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#References%23Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#cite_note-eci-ge2009-0%23cite_note-eci-ge2009-0http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=ECI-elephant.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Upload&wpDestFile=ECI-elephant.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahujan_Samaj_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayawatihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharatiya_Janata_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajnath_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#endnote_CPIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.B._Bardhanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_(Marxist)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prakash_Karathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_Congress_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharad_Pawarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Janata_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalu_Prasad_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalu_Prasad_Yadav


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[edit] State

If a party is recognised as a state party by the Election Commission, it can reserve a

symbol for its exclusive use in the state. The following are a list of recognised stateparties as of April 2009.[1]

SYMBOL NAME ACR. YEAR CHIEF STATES

All India Anna Dravida

Munnetra KazhagamAIADMK J. Jayalitha

Tamil Nadu,

Puducherry

All India Forward Bloc AIFB 1939Debabrata

BiswasWest Bengal

All India Trinamool Congress AITC 2004 Mamta BanerjeeMeghalaya,

West Bengal

Arunachal Congress AC 1996 Kamen RinguArunachal

Pradesh

Asom Gana Parishad AGP 1985 Prafulla KumarMahanta

Assam

Assam United Democratic

FrontAUDF

Badruddin

AjmalAssam

Biju Janata Dal BJD 1997 Naveen Patnaik Orissa

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK 1949 M KarunanidhiTamil Nadu,

Puducherry

Indian National Lok Dal INLD 1999Om Prakash

ChautalaHaryana

Jammu & Kashmir National

ConferenceJKNC 1932 Omar Abdullah

Jammu and

Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir NationalPanthers Party JKNPP NA Bhim Singh Jammu andKashmir

Jammu and Kashmir People's

Democratic PartyPDP 1998

Mufti

Mohammed

Sayeed

Jammu and

Kashmir

Janata Dal (Secular) JD (S) 1999H.D. Deve

Gowda

Karnataka,

Kerala

Janata Dal (United) JD (U) 1999 Nitish Kumar Bihar, Jharkhand

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha JMM 1972 Shibu SorenJharkhand,

Orissa

Kerala Congress KEC 1964 P.J. Joseph Kerala

Kerala Congress (Mani) KEC (M) 1979 C.F Thomas Kerala

Lok Jan Shakti Party LJSPRam Vilas

PaswanBihar

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak

PartyMAG 1963

Shashikala

KakodkarGoa

Manipur People's Party MPP 1968 O. Joy Singh Manipur

Marumalarchi Dravida

Munnetra KazhagamMDMK 1993 Vaiko Tamil Nadu

Mizo National Front MDF 1959 Pu Zoramthanga Mizoram
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#cite_note-eci-ge2009-0%23cite_note-eci-ge2009-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Anna_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Anna_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J._Jayalitha&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Forward_Blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debabrata_Biswashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debabrata_Biswashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Trinamool_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamta_Banerjeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghalayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghalayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Ringuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asom_Gana_Parishadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prafulla_Kumar_Mahantahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prafulla_Kumar_Mahantahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam_United_Democratic_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam_United_Democratic_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulana_Badruddin_Ajmalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulana_Badruddin_Ajmalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biju_Janata_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naveen_Patnaikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orissahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_Karunanidhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Lok_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Prakash_Chautalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Prakash_Chautalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Abdullahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Panthers_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Panthers_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhim_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_People's_Democratic_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_People's_Democratic_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janata_Dal_(Secular)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.D._Deve_Gowdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.D._Deve_Gowdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janata_Dal_(United)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitish_Kumarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhand_Mukti_Morchahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibu_Sorenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orissahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.J._Josephhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Congress_(Mani)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.F_Thomashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Jan_Shakti_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Vilas_Paswanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Vilas_Paswanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrawadi_Gomantak_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrawadi_Gomantak_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashikala_Kakodkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashikala_Kakodkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur_People's_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Joy_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marumalarchi_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marumalarchi_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaikohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizo_National_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Zoramthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India&action=edit&section=2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#cite_note-eci-ge2009-0%23cite_note-eci-ge2009-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Anna_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Anna_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J._Jayalitha&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Forward_Blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debabrata_Biswashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debabrata_Biswashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Trinamool_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamta_Banerjeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghalayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Ringuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asom_Gana_Parishadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prafulla_Kumar_Mahantahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prafulla_Kumar_Mahantahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam_United_Democratic_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam_United_Democratic_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulana_Badruddin_Ajmalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulana_Badruddin_Ajmalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biju_Janata_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naveen_Patnaikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orissahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_Karunanidhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Lok_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Prakash_Chautalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Prakash_Chautalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Abdullahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Panthers_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmir_National_Panthers_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhim_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_People's_Democratic_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_People's_Democratic_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mufti_Mohammed_Sayeedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janata_Dal_(Secular)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.D._Deve_Gowdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.D._Deve_Gowdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janata_Dal_(United)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitish_Kumarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhand_Mukti_Morchahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibu_Sorenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharkhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orissahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.J._Josephhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Congress_(Mani)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.F_Thomashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lok_Jan_Shakti_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Vilas_Paswanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Vilas_Paswanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrawadi_Gomantak_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrawadi_Gomantak_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashikala_Kakodkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashikala_Kakodkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur_People's_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Joy_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marumalarchi_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marumalarchi_Dravida_Munnetra_Kazhagamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaikohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizo_National_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Zoramthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoram


21/71

Mizoram People's Conference MPC 1972Pu

LalhmingthangaMizoram

Muslim League Kerala State

CommitteeMUL 1948

G.M.

BanatwallaKerala

Nagaland People's Front NPF 2002 Neiphiu Rio Nagaland

National People's Party NPP ManipurPattali Makkal Katchi PMK 1989 G.K. Mani

Tamil Nadu,

Puducherry

Pudhucherry Munnetra

CongressPMC 2005 P. Kannan Puducherry

Revolutionary Socialist Party RSP 1940T.J.

ChandrachoodanWest Bengal

Samajwadi Party SP 1992Mulayam Singh

Yadav

Madhya Pradesh,

Uttar Pradesh,

Uttarakhand

Save Goa Front SGF Goa

Shiromani Akali Dal SAD 1920

Parkash Singh

Badal Punjab

Shiv Sena SHS 1966Uddhav

Thackeray[2]Maharashtra

Sikkim Democratic Front SDF 1993Pawan Kumar

ChamlingSikkim

Telangana Rashtra Samithi TRS Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam Party TDP 1982N. Chandrababu

NaiduAndhra Pradesh

United Democratic Party UDP NA Donkupar Roy Meghalaya

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal UKKD 1979Bipin Chandra

TripathiUttarakhand

Zoram Nationalist Party ZNP 1997 Lalduhomo Mizoram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoram_People's_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Lalhmingthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Lalhmingthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_League_Kerala_State_Committeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_League_Kerala_State_Committeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.M._Banatwallahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.M._Banatwallahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaland_People's_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neiphiu_Riohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagalandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_People%27s_Party_(India)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattali_Makkal_Katchihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=G.K._Mani&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudhucherry_Munnetra_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudhucherry_Munnetra_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=P._Kannan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Socialist_Party_(India)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T.J._Chandrachoodan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T.J._Chandrachoodan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samajwadi_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulayam_Singh_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulayam_Singh_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttarakhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Save_Goa_Front&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiromani_Akali_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkash_Singh_Badalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkash_Singh_Badalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_(India)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiv_Senahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddhav_Thackerayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddhav_Thackerayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddhav_Thackerayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#endnote_SShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recognised_political_parties_in_India#endnote_SShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikkim_Democratic_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawan_Kumar_Chamlinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawan_Kumar_Chamlinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikkimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telangana_Rashtra_Samithihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_Desam_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Chandrababu_Naiduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Chandrababu_Naiduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Democratic_Party_(Meghalaya)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkupar_Royhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghalayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttarakhand_Kranti_Dalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipin_Chandra_Tripathihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipin_Chandra_Tripathihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttarakhandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoram_Nationalist_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lalduhomo&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoram_People's_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Lalhmingthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu_Lalhmingthangahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizoramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_League_Kerala_State_Committeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_League_Kerala_State_Committeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.M._Banatwallahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.M._Banatwallahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaland_People's_Fronthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neiphiu_Riohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagalandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_People%27s_Party_(India)&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattali_Makkal_Katchihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=G.K._Mani&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudhucherry_Munnetra_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudhucherry_Munnetra_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=P._Kannan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puducherryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Socialist_Party_(India)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T.J._Chandrachoodan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T.J._Chandrachoodan&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samajwadi_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulayam_Singh_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulayam_Singh_Yadavhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.o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1. Introduction.

India is a constitutional democracy with a parliamentary system of government, and at the heart of the

system is a commitment to hold regular, free and fair elections. These elections determine the composition

of the government, the membership of the two houses of parliament, the state and union territory legislative

assemblies, and the Presidency and vice-presidency.(Back)

2. Indian Elections -Scale of Operation.

Elections in India are events involving political mobilisation and organisational complexity on an amazing

scale. In the 1996 election to Lok Sabha there were 1,269 candidates from 38 officially recognised national

and state parties seeking election, 1,048 candidates from registered parties, not recognised and 10,635

independent candidates. A total number of 59,25,72,288 people voted. The Election Commission employed

almost 40,00,000 people to run the election. A vast number if civilian police and security forces were

deployed to ensure that the elections were carried out peacefully. The direct cost of organising the election

amounted to approximately Rs. 5,180 million.(Back)

3. Constituencies & Reservation of Seats.

The country has been divided into 543 Parliamentary Constituencies, each of which returns one MP to the

Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament. The size and shape of the parliamentary constituencies are

determined by an independent Delimitation Commission, which aims to create constituencies which have

roughly the same population, subject to geographical considerations and the boundaries of the states andadministrative areas.(Back)

4. How Constituency Boundaries are drawn up?

Delimitation is the redrawing of the boundaries of parliamentary or assembly constituencies to make sure

that there are, as near as practicable, the same number of people in each constituency. In India boundaries

are meant to be examined after the ten-yearly census to reflect changes in population, for which Parliament

by law establishes an independent Delimitation Commission, made up of the Chief Election Commissioner

and two judges or ex-judges from the Supreme Court or High Court. However, under a constitutional

amendment of 1976, delimitation was suspended until after the census of 2001, ostensibly so that statesfamily-planning programmes would not affect their political representation in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan

Sabhas. This has led to wide discrepancies in the size of constituencies, with the largest having over

25,00,000 electors, and the smallest less than 50,000.(Back)
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5. Reservation of Seats.

The Constitution puts a limit on the size of the Lok Sabha of 550 elected members, apart from two members

who can be nominated by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community. There are also provisions

to ensure the representation of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, with reserved constituencies where

only candidates from these communities can stand for election. There was an attempt to pass legislation to

introduce reserved one third of the seats for female candidates but the dissolution of Lok Sabha for the 1998

election occurred before the bill had completed its passage through parliament.(Back)

6. Parliament.

The Parliament of the Union consists of the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya

Sabha (Council of States). The President is the head of state, and he appoints the Prime Minister, who runs

the government, according to the political composition of the Lok Sabha. Although the government is

headed by a Prime Minister, the Cabinet is the central decision making body of the government. Members of

more than one party can make up a government, and although the governing parties may be a minority in

the Lok Sabha, they can only govern as long as they have the confidence of a majority of MPs, the members

of the Lok Sabha. As well as being the body, which determines whom, makes up the government, the Lok

Sabha is the main legislative body, along with the Rajya Sabha.(Back)

7. Rajya Sabha - The Council of States.

The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly, rather than by the citizens at large. Rajya Sabhamembers are elected by each state Vidhan Sabha using the single transferable vote system. Unlike most

federal systems, the number of members returned by each state is roughly in proportion to their population.

At present there are 233 members of the Rajya Sabha elected by the Vidhan Sabhas, and there are also

twelve members nominated by the President as representatives of literature, science, art and social

services. Rajya Sabha members can serve for six years, and elections are staggered, with one third of the

assembly being elected every 2 years.

Nominated members

The president can nominate 2 members of the Lok Sabha if it is felt that the representation of the Anglo-

Indian community is inadequate, and 12 members of the Rajya Sabha, to represent literature, science, art

and the social services.(Back)

8. State Assemblies.

India is a federal country, and the Constitution gives the states and union territories significant control over

their own government. The Vidhan Sabhas (legislative assemblies) is directly elected bodies set up to

carrying out the administration of the government in the 25 States of India. In some states there is a

bicameral organisation of legislatures, with both an upper and Lower House. Two of the seven Union
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Territories viz., the National Capital Territory of Delhi and Pondicherry, have also legislative assemblies.

Elections to the Vidhan Sabhas are carried out in the same manner as for the Lok Sabha election, with the

states and union territories divided into single-member constituencies, and the first-past-the-post electoral

system used. The assemblies range in size, according to population. The largest Vidhan Sabha is for Uttar

Pradesh, with 425 members; the smallest Pondicherry, with 30 members.(Back)

. President and Vice-President.

The President is elected by the elected members of the Vidhan Sabhas, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, and

serves for a period of 5 years (although they can stand for re-election). A formula is used to allocate votes

so there is a balance between the population of each state and the number of votes assembly members

from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance between state and national assembly Parliament

members. If no candidate receives a majority of votes there is a system by which losing candidates are

eliminated from the contest and votes for them transferred to other candidates, until one gain a majority. The

Vice President is elected by a direct vote of all members elected and nominated, of the Lok Sabha and

Rajya Sabha.

The single transferable vote system. Election for the members of the Rajya Sabha and the President are

carried out using the single transferable vote system. The single transferable vote system is designed to

ensure more diverse representation, by reducing the opportunity for blocks of voters to dominate minorities.

The ballot paper lists all candidates standing for election and the voters' list them in order of preference. A

threshold number of votes, known as the quota is set, which candidates have to achieve to be elected. For

presidential elections the quota is set at one more than half the number of votes, ensuring that the winner is

the candidate who gets a clear majority. For the Rajya Sabha the quota is set at the number of votes that

can be attained by just enough MPs to fill all the seats but no more. Votes that are deemed surplus, those

given to candidates who have already got a full quota of votes, or votes given to candidates who are

deemed to be losing candidates, are transferred according to the voters listed preferences, until the right

number of candidates have been elected.(Back)

10. Independent Election Commission.

An independent Election Commission has been established under the Constitution in order to carry out and

regulate the holding of elections in India.

The Election Commission was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950.

Originally a Chief Election Commissioner ran the commission, but first in 1989 and later again in 1993 two

additional Election Commissioners were appointed.

The Election Commission is responsible for the conduct of elections to parliament and state legislatures and

to the offices of the President and Vice-President.

The Election Commission prepares, maintains and periodically updates the Electoral Roll, which shows who

is entitled to vote, supervises the nomination of candidates, registers political parties, monitors the election

campaign, including candidates funding. It also facilitates the coverage of the election process by the

media, organises the polling booths where voting takes place, and looks after the counting of votes and the

declaration of results. All this is done to ensure that elections can take place in an orderly and fair manner.
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At present, there are two Election Commissioners appointed by the President. Chief Election Commissioner

can be removed from office only by parliamentary impeachment.

The Commission decides most matters by consensus but in case of any dissension, the majority view

prevails.

Election Commission :

Present composition Dr. M.S .GILL - Chief Election Commissioner

Dr. G.V.G. Krishnamurthy - Election Commissioner

Mr. J.M. Lynogdoh - Election Commissioner

Chief Election Commissioners :

Sukumar Sen : 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958

KVK Sundaram : 20 December 1958 to 30 September 1967

SP Sen Verma : 1 October 1967 to 30 September 1972

Dr Nagendra Singh : 1 October 1972 to 6 February 1973

T Swaminathan : 7 February 1973 to 17 June 1977

SL Shakdhar : 18 June 1977 to 17 June 1982

RK Trivedi : 18 June 1982 to 31 December 1985

RVS Peri Sastri : 1 January 1986 to 25 November 1990

Smt VS Ramadevi : 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990

TN Seshan : 12 December 1990 to 11 December 1996

MS Gill : 12 December 1996 to present

The Commission has its headquarters in New Delhi, with a Secretariat of some 300 staff members. At the

state level a Chief Electoral Officer with a core staff of varying numbers, is available on a full time basis. At

the district and constituency level, officers and staff of the civil administration double up as Election officials.

During actual conduct of elections, a vast number of additional staff are temporarily drafted for about two

weeks. They function mainly as polling and counting officials.(Back)

The democratic system in India is based on the principle of universal adult suffrage; that any citizen over the

age of 18 can vote in an election (before 1989 the age limit was 21). The right to vote is irrespective of

caste, creed, religion or gender. Those who are deemed unsound of mind, and people convicted of certain

criminal offences are not allowed to vote.

There has been a general increase in the number of people voting in Indian elections. In 1952 61.16 per

cent of the electorate voted. By 1996 the turnout for the general election was 57.94 per cent. There have

been even more rapid increases in the turnout of women and members of the scheduled castes and

scheduled tribes, who had tended to be far less likely to participate in elections, and voting for these groups

has moved closer to the national average. (Back)

12. The Electoral Roll.

The electoral roll is a list of all people in the constituency who are registered to vote in Indian Elections. Only

those people with their names on the electoral roll are allowed to vote. The electoral roll is normally revised

every year to add the names of those who are to turn 18 on the 1st January of that year or have moved into

a constituency and to remove the names of those who have died or moved out of a constituency. If you are

eligible to vote and are not on the electoral roll, you can apply to the Electoral Registration Officer of the
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constituency, who will update the register. The updating of the Electoral Roll only stops during an election

campaign, after the nominations for candidates have closed.(Back)

13. Computerisation of Rolls.

The Election Commission is currently undertaking the computerisation of the electoral rolls throughout India,

which should lead to improvements in the accuracy and speed with which the electoral roll can be updated.

This has already been completed in the northern states of Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the

Eastern state of Tripura and Rolls in the new computerised format put to use for the general Election in

1998.(Back)

14. Electors' Photo Identity Cards.

In an attempt to improve the accuracy of the electoral roll and prevent electoral fraud, the Election

Commission has pressed for the introduction of photo identity cards for voters. This is a massive task, and atpresent over 338 million have been provided. The Commission is providing ways and methods to deal with

the problems with the issue of cards, and difficulties in keeping track of voters, especially the mobile urban

electorate.(Back)

15. When do elections take place?

Elections for the Lok Sabha and every State Legislative Assembly have to take place every five years,

unless called earlier. The President can dissolve Lok Sabha and call a general election before five years is

up, if the government can no longer command the confidence of the Lok Sabha, and if there is no alternative

government available to take over.

General elections to the Lok Sabha took place in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989,

1991 and 1996, and the twelfth Lok Sabha general election is currently being held in February-March 1998.

Governments have found it increasingly difficult to stay in power for the full term of a Lok Sabha in recent

times, and so elections have often been held before the five-year limit has been reached. A constitutional

amendment passed in 1975, as part of the government declared emergency, postponed the election due to

be held in 1976. This amendment was later rescinded, and regular elections resumed in 1977.

Other measures have been taken to adjust the timetable of elections when civil unrest has made the holding

of elections problematic. Disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir, the Punjab, and Assam have led to the

postponement of elections. Holding of regular elections can only be stopped by means of a constitutional

amendment and in consultation with the Election Commission, and it is recognised that interruptions of

regular elections are acceptable only in extraordinary circumstances.(Back)

16. Scheduling the Elections.

When the five-year limit is up, or the legislature has been dissolved and new elections have been called, the

Election Commission puts into effect the machinery for holding an election. The constitution states that there

can be no longer than 6 months between the last session of the dissolved Lok Sabha and the recalling of the
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new House, so elections have to be concluded before then.

In a country as huge and diverse as India, finding a period when elections can be held throughout the

country is not simple. The Election Commission, which decides the schedule for elections, has to take

account of the weather - during winter constituencies may be snow-bound, and during the monsoon access

to remote areas restricted -, the agricultural cycle - so that the planting or harvesting of crops is not

disrupted, exam schedules - as schools are used as polling stations and teachers employed as election

officials, and religious festivals and public holidays. On top of this there are the logistical difficulties that go

with holding an election - sending out ballot boxes, setting up polling booths, recruiting officials to oversee

the elections.(Back)

17. Who can stand for Election.

Any Indian citizen who is registered as a voter and is over 25 years of age is allowed to contest elections to

the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies. For the Rajya Sabha the age limit is 30 years. Candidates

for the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Sabha should be a resident of the same state as the constituency from

which they wish to contest.

Every candidate has to make a deposit of Rs. 10,000/- for Lok Sabha election and 5,000/- for Rajya Sabha

or Vidhan Sabha elections, except for candidates from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who

pay half of these amounts. The deposit is returned if the candidate receives more than one-sixth of the total

number of valid votes polled in the constituency. Nominations must be supported at least by one registered

elector of the constituency, in the case of a candidate sponsored by a registered Party and by ten registered

electors from the constituency in the case of other candidates. Returning Officers, appointed by the Election

Commission, are put in charge to receive nominations of candidates in each constituency, and oversee the

formalities of the election.

In a number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha, the candidates can only be from either one of

the scheduled castes or scheduled tribes. The number of these reserved seats is meant to be approximately

in proportion to the number of people from scheduled castes or scheduled tribes in each state. There are

currently 79 seats reserved for the scheduled castes and 41 reserved for the scheduled tribes in the Lok

Sabha. (Back)

18. Number of Candidates.

The number of candidates contesting each election has steadily increased. In the general election of 1952

the average number of candidates in each constituency was 3.8; by 1991 it had risen to 16.3, and in 1996

stood at 25.6. Some commentators have criticised the openness of the nomination process, arguing that it is

far too easy for frivolous candidates to stand for election, and that this confuses the electoral process.Certain remedial measures have been taken in August 1996, which included increasing the size of the

deposit and making the number of people who have to nominate a candidate larger. The impact of such

measures was quite considerable at the elections which were subsequently held in Uttar Pradesh in

October, 1996, where the number of contestants Come down quite significantly. In 1998 the number of

nominations for the Lok Sabha has come down to , an average of per constituency and % lower than the

figures for 1996.(Back)
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19. Campaign.

The campaign is the period when the political parties put forward their candidates and arguments with which

they hope to persuade people to vote for their candidates and parties. Candidates are given a week to put

forward their nominations. These are scrutinised by the Returning Officers and if not found to be in order can

be rejected after a summary hearing. Validly nominated candidates can withdraw within two days afternominations have been scrutinised. The official campaign lasts at least two weeks from the drawing up of

the list of nominated candidates, and officially ends 48 hours before polling closes.

During the election campaign the political parties and contesting candidates are expected to abide by a

Model Code of Conduct evolved by the Election Commission on the basis of a consensus among political

parties. The model Code lays down broad guidelines as to how the political parties and candidates should

conduct themselves during the election campaign. It is intended to maintain the election campaign on

healthy lines, avoid clashes and conflicts between political parties or their supporters and to ensure peace

and order during the campaign period and thereafter, until the results are declared. The model code also

prescribes guidelines for the ruling party either at the Centre or in the State to ensure that a level field in

maintained and that no cause is given for any complaint that the ruling party has used its official position for

the purposes of its election campaign.

Once an election has been called, parties issue manifestos detailing the programmes they wish to

implement if elected to government, the strengths of their leaders, and the failures of opposing parties and

their leaders. Slogans are used to popularise and identify parties and issues, and pamphlets and posters

distributed to the electorate. Rallies and meetings where the candidates try to persuade, cajole and enthuse

supporters, and denigrate opponents, are held throughout the constituencies. Personal appeals and

promises of reform are made, with candidates travelling the length and breadth of the constituency to try to

influence as many potential supporters as possible. Party symbols abound, printed on posters and placards.

(Back)

20. Polling Days.

Polling is normally held on a number of different days in different constituencies, to enable the security

forces and those monitoring the election to keep law and order and ensure that voting during the election is

fair.(Back)

21. Ballot Papers & Symbols.

After nomination of candidates is complete, a list of competing candidates is prepared by the Returning

Officer, and ballot papers are printed. Ballot papers are printed with the names of the candidates (inlanguages set by the Election Commission) and the symbols allotted to each of the candidates. Candidates

of recognised Parties are allotted their Party symbols. Some electors, including members of the armed

forces or government of India.(Back)

22. How the voting takes place?
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Voting is by secret ballot. Polling stations are usually set up in public institutions, such as schools and

community halls. To enable as many electors as possible to vote, the officials of the Election Commission try

to ensure that there is a polling station within 2km of every voter, and that no polling stations should have to

deal with more than 1200 voters. Each polling station is open for at least 8 hours on the day of the election.

On entering the polling station, the elector is checked against the Electoral Roll, and allocated a ballot paper.

The elector votes by marking the ballot paper with a rubber stamp on or near the symbol of the candidate of

his choice, inside a screened compartment in the polling station. The voter then folds the ballot paper and

inserts it in a common ballot box which is kept in full view of the Presiding Officer and polling agents of the

candidates. This marking system eliminates the possibility of ballot papers being surreptitiously taken out of

the polling station or not being put in the ballot box.(Back)

Political parties are an established part of modern mass democracy, and the conduct of elections in India is

largely dependent on the behaviour of political parties. Although many candidates for Indian elections are

independent, the winning candidates for Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections usually stand as members

of political parties, and opinion polls suggest that people tend to vote for a party rather than a particular

candidate. Parties offer candidates organisational support, and by offering a broader election campaign,

looking at the record of government and putting forward alternative proposals for government, help voters

make a choice about how the government is run.(Back)

24. Registration with Election Commission.

Political parties have to be registered with the Election Commission. The Commission determines whether

the party is structured and committed to principles of democracy, secularism and socialism in accordance

with th

parliamentary election

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