POLITICAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER 3
ELECTORAL POLITICS
ACTIVATING PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE
● What is democracy?
● Why is democracy considered as the
best form of government?
● Do you think all the countries having
elections regularly are democratic?
Give reasons to support your answer.
UNIT 3.1 WHY ELECTIONS?
MEANING OF ELECTION:
The mechanism by which people can elect
their representatives at regular intervals and change
them if necessary, is called an election.
IMPORTANCE OF
ELECTIONS
CHOICE OF
LEADERSHIP
CHANGE IN
LEADERSHIP
POLITICAL
PARTICIPATION
SELF-
CORRECTIVE
SYSTEM
IMPORTANT
CHOICES
THAT THE
PEOPLE
MAKE IN AN
(i)People
whose
choose the party
policies will guide the government and
ELECTION
law making.
(ii)They elect the executive which will
take major decisions.
(iii) They elect the law makers.
FEATURES OF
DEMOCRATIC
ELECTIONS
POLITICAL
CHOICE
CANDIDATES
PREFERRED BY
THE PEOPLE
SHOULD
UNIVERSAL GET
ELECTED
ADULT FEATURES OF
FRANCHISE DEMOCRATIC
ELECTIONS
INDEPENDENT
REGULAR ELECTION
ELECTIONS COMMISSION
DEMERITS OF
POLITICAL
DifferentCOMPETITION
Some people who wish to serve
political the country, may not enter
politics as they may not like
parties and leaders
[ELECTIONS]
often level allegations
against one another.
the idea of being dragged into
unhealthy competition.
Parties and candidates often use dirty
tricks to win elections. The pressure to May create disunity in the
win electoral fights may not allow society.
sensible long-term policies to be
formulated.
LET’S FIND
OUT……
● In which states of India were the
Assembly elections held in the year 2021?
● Political Parties that have formed
government in these states.
● Any other interesting fact related to these
elections.
UNIT 3.2 WHAT IS OUR SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS?
TYPES OF
ELECTIONS
GENERAL ELECTIONS, BY-ELECTIONS & MID-
TERM ELECTIONS
GENERAL BY-ELECTIONS
ELECTIONS MID-TERM
Elections held to ELECTIONS
Elections which fill the vacancy
are held after the caused by death Elections held to
completion of the or resignation of constitute a new
term. In India, it is a member. House if the
House is
5 5 years. dissolved
before its full
term.
ELECTORAL
CONSTITUENCY
• A constituency is an area from where
a body of people elect one
representative to the legislature.
• The country is divided into a
number of constituencies for the
purpose of election.
• This division is on the basis
of population of that area.
• There are 543 Lok
Sabha constituencies in India at
present.
REASONS Reserved Constituencies
are constituencies that are
BEHIND reserved for Scheduled
Castes & Scheduled Tribes
FORMATION and women. Only they
can contest an election from
that constituency.
OF
RESERVED
The Constitution makers, were worried that in an open electoral
competition, certain weaker sections may not stand a good chance
CONSTITUEN
to get elected to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.
The weaker sections may not have the required resources, education
CIES
and contacts to contest and win elections against others.
Those who are influential and resourceful may prevent them from
winning elections. If that happens, our Parliament and Assemblies
would be deprived of the voice of a significant section of our
population.
ELECTORAL
ROLL
• Electoral roll is a list of
all(VOTERS’
the eligible voters in
the constituency.
LIST)
Universal Adult Franchise
is the basis of elections
at all levels of
government in India.
• All the citizens above
18 years are eligible to
vote. Photo identity
cards are issued to all
eligible voters.
Universal Adult
Franchise
● Very important aspect of democratic societies as it is based on
the idea of equality.
● It means that all adult citizens of the country have right to
QUALIFICATIONS OF A
VOTER IN
INDIA SHOULD BE A
CITIZEN OF INDIA
SHOULD BE
ABOVE THE AGE
OF 18
SHOULD NOT BE
A MENTALLY
UNSOUND
STAGES IN AN
ELECTION
1. Delimitation of Constituencies
2.Revision of Voters' List
3.Announcement of Dates
(filling up of nomination, campaigning, election etc)
4.Filling up of Nomination
5.Withdrawal of Nomination
6.Scrutiny of Nomination
7. Electoral campaigns
8. Elections-Voting
9. Declaration of Results
10. Petitions on Election Result
ANNOUNCEME
NT OF
Election Commission formally
ELECTION
announces the
complete schedule with phases, dates
& State- wise list of seats, for the
elections.
NOMINATION
Every person who wishes to contest an
election has to fill a nomination form
and submit it to the election officer.
• The candidate should submit a legal
declaration of the following:
(a) Criminal cases pending
against him/her.
(b) His/her assets and liabilities.
(c) His/her educational
qualification.
WITHDRAWAL
The candidates who have a second thought can withdraw their
nomination before the last day of withdrawal.
SCRUTINY
Election officers will check the information given in nomination papers. If
they find any error or any wrong statement in a nomination paper, they
can reject that nomination. After scrutiny, the list of eligible candidates will
be published.
ELECTION
• PartiesCAMPAIGN
and
candidates organise
campaigns to win people's
support.
• They distribute hand
bills, organise rallies,
public meetings and go
door to door for
campaigning.
• Electronic and print media
are also used for
campaigning.
• Campaigning ends 48
hours before the date
of election.
RULES REGARDING
ELECTION CAMPAIGN
AS PER INDIAN
(i) Candidates should not bribe or threaten the voters.
ELECTION LAW
(ii) They should not appeal to voters in the name of caste or
religion.
(iii) They should not use government resources for
election campaign.
(iv)Should not spend more than Rs 25 lakh in a
constituency for Lok Sabha election or Rs 10 lakh in a
constituency in an Assembly election.
SLOGANS Let’s find out…
Slogans given by BJP led
USED BY NDA in the 2014 & 2019
Lok Sabha elections.
DIFFERENT
POLITICAL GARIBI SAVE
HATAO by
PARTIES AT Congress
Party in 1971
DEMOCRACY
by Janata
THE TIME OF Lok Sabha
elections
Party in 1977 Lok
Sabha elections
PAST
ELECTIONS IN LAND TOTHE PROTECT THE
TILLER by The SELF-RESPECT
Left Front in OF THE
1977 West TELUGUS by Telugu
Bengal Desam Party in
Assembly 1983 Andhra
elections Pradesh Assembly
elections
MODEL CODE OF
CONDUCT
• Model Code of Conduct is a set of rules which Political Parties and
Candidates should follow at the time of an election.
• According to this, no party or candidate can:
Use any place of worship for election
propaganda.
Use government vehicles, aircrafts and
officials for elections.
Once elections are announced,
Ministers shall not lay foundation
stones of any projects, take big
policy decisions or make any
promises of providing public
facilities.
POLLING
(i)The voters go to the polling booth with Election Identity Cards.
They queue up for their turn.
(ii)The Election Officer identifies the voter from the list and puts
an identification mark on the index finger.
(iii)Voters press the button against the name of the candidates of
their choice.
COUNTING OF
VOTES &
• Ballot boxes (EVMs) are collected
DECLARATION OF
after the voting.
• RESULT
On the day of counting they
are opened and counted.
• The candidate who gets the highest
number of votes is declared elected.
PETITIONS ON ELECTION
RESULTS
Election Petition -The procedure for challenging the
result of an election.
● The only legal remedy available to a
voter/candidate who believes there has been
• On the day of counting they are
malpractice in an election.
●opened and counted.
Election Petition is submitted to the High Court
• Theof the state
candidate who getsinthe
which
highest the constituency is located.
●number
It has to isbedeclared
of votes filedelected.
within 45 days from the date of
the poll results.
UNIT 3.3 WHAT MAKES ELECTIONS IN INDIA
DEMOCRATIC?
INDIAN
ELECTIONS
ARE
DEMOCRATIC
Indian elections are democratic because:
(i) Elections are conducted by an independent and impartial
Election
Commission.
(ii) People’s participation is high in India. Voter turnout is higher
than
ELECTION
COMMISSIO
• Election
N OF INDIA
Commission is
an independent and impartial
organization.
• Election Commission of India
is a three-member body, with
one Chief Election
Commissioner and two
Election Commissioners.
• Election Commissioners are
appointed by the President.
• It is very difficult to
remove an Election
Commissioner.
WORK OF
ELECTION
COMMISSION OF
(i)Election Commission revises the constituencies and prepares the
INDIA
voters list.
(ii) Election Commission can ask the government to follow
some
guidelines during the elections.
(iii) It implements the code of conduct and punishes any candidate or
party that violates it.
(iv) Officers who are on election duty, work under the control of the Election
Commission.
(v) It is the duty of the Election Commission to conduct free and fair
elections in India.
THE INTEREST OF THE
VOTERS IN ELECTION
RELATED ACTIVITIES
INCREASED IN RECENT
YEARS IN INDIA
(i) Voter turnout in India is comparatively high. The turnout keeps on
increasing.
(ii)Large number of people participate in election campaigns and the
other related activities.
(iii) Poor and the uneducated people participate in large numbers in the
elections.
(iv)People consider elections a way to pressurise the Government to
adopt policies favourable to them.
CHALLENGES TO FREE
AND FAIR
ELECTIONS
Big parties enjoy In some places
anadvantage criminals may succeed
over
independent in getting theticket
candidates from major parties.
and smaller
parties.
Some families tend to Little choice to
dominate political citizens as most
parties; tickets are of the parties
distributed to relatives have
from these families. the same policies
and programmes.
LET’S DISCUSS……..
(GROUP ACTIVITY)
PLAN AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Imagine your group to be a political party contesting the
General
Election to be held in December 2021, in India.
● Give a name to your political party.
● Symbol you would choose to represent your party.
● Slogan / manifesto of your party for the upcoming election.
● How would your party members conduct rallies / meetings
to mobilise supporters.
● ‘Model Code of Conduct’ your party has agreed to
follow during election campaign.
(To be done after the First Term Examination)
