PROCESS OF ELECTIONS
Most important steps involved in election Procedure in India are: 1. Formation of
Constituencies 2. Filling of Nominations 3. Scrutiny of Nominations 4. Allocation of symbols
5. Election Campaign 6. Polling Personnel and the Polling 7. Counting of Votes and
Declaration of Results
1. Formation of Constituencies:
The Constitution lies down that after the completion of each census the allocation of seats in
the Lok Sabha to States shall be readjusted. Similarly, the constituencies for elections to the
legislative assemblies are also readjusted.
However, 42nd Amendment Act (1976) provided that until the figures for the first census
after the year 2000 have been published, it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of
seats to the States in the Lok Sabha.
2. Filling of Nominations:
The nomination of candidates is an important part of the election process. The regulations
require that the candidate or the person who proposes his name files the nomination papers
with the Returning Officer. In order to be chosen a member of the Rajya Sabha or the State
Legislative Council, a person must be not less than 30 years of age.
For election to the Lok sabha or the State Legislative Assembly, a person should have
attained an age of 25 years. A person is disqualified for being chosen as a member of any
House, (i) if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or of any State (The
offices of Ministers or Deputy Ministers are not regarded as offices of profit for this
purpose); (ii) if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court; (iii) if he
is an un-discharged insolvent; (iv) if he has ceased to be a citizen of India; and (v) if he is so
disqualified under any law made by Parliament.
The Representation of the People act, as amended from time to time disqualifies a person
from the membership of a Legislature:
(i) If he has been found guilty of certain election offences or corrupt practices in election; (ii)
if he has been convicted and sentenced to transportation or to imprisonment for not less than
two years; and (iii) if he has been dismissed from government service for corruption or
disloyalty to the State.
In 1988 many other offences, such as cruelty towards women, were included among those
which would cause disqualification for standing for election. But none of these
disqualifications operates for a period of more than six years from the date of such
conviction.
3. Scrutiny of Nominations:
The Returning Officer scrutinizes the nomination papers very carefully. When someone is
dissatisfied, he is officially stopped from contesting election for six years. The candidates can
withdraw their nomination papers even after they have been found in order.
Every candidate standing for election to the Lok Sabha or to State Legislative Assembly has
to make a security deposit of Rs. 10,000 arid Rs. 5,000 respectively. In case the candidate
belongs to any of the Scheduled Castes or Tribes, the security deposit is reduced by half.
The security deposit of such candidates as have obtained less than one-sixth of the total
number of valid votes polled is forfeited.
4. Allocation of symbols:
The election commission approves and allocates symbols to each candidate and to all the
political parties. While allocating symbols, the election commission make sure that no
symbol should be same as it may confuse or mislead the voters.
5. Election Campaign:
Techniques of election campaign and the tools employed by the parties and the independent
candidates are many:
(i) Election Manifesto:
The parties issue their Election Manifestoes. A Manifesto is a Statement of great significance.
It is “a formal Statement of the programme and objectives of a political party” It deals with
issues such as restructuring of Centre-State relations, guarantees to religious or linguistic
minorities, justice and judicial reforms, fiscal reform, economic growth, social justice,
problems of the handicapped, health, nutrition, education, defence and world peace. The
Manifesto contains programmes and promises, with a view to attract the largest number of
voters.
(ii) Electioneering (Activities and Techniques to Persuade Voters):
The parties and the candidates usually make use of these techniques in order to carry their
message to the voters (a) public meetings and rallies are organised and processions taken out.
The party leaders, especially the crowd pullers, are assigned the task to address public
meetings; (b) the street corner meetings are held; (c) the candidates, along with the influential
persons of the area, do door-to- door canvassing; (d) new slogans are coined to attract the
masses; (e) advertisements are released to the press (the popular daily and weekly
newspapers); and (f) the Radio and the Television are pressed into service to broadcast the
speeches and panel-discussions of leaders of various parties.
Now-a-days electronic media plays the most effective role in creating people’s awareness
about programmes of the political parties. The party leaders give a series of interviews to
newspapers and television agencies. Wide coverage is being given to all these events at
regular intervals.
6. Polling Personnel and the Polling:
The election campaign must be stopped 48 hours before the time when poll concludes on the
polling day.
Presiding Officer supervises the whole of the polling process and ensures that all persons
working under him adhere to the electoral norms and practices.
The voter records his vote either by placing the seal-mark against the name of the candidate
he wants to vote for or by pressing the button of the voting machine.
7. Counting of Votes and Declaration of Results:
After the polling has ended the ballot boxes or the voting machines are sealed and carried
under custody to the counting stations. Then the process of counting the votes begins. In
1979, the practice of booth-wise counting of ballot paper was revived.
It was done on the instance of the parties which insisted on knowing the voting pattern so that
they could woo the voters and work vigorously in the areas where they were weak. Booth-
wise counting was preferred for one more reason.
The parties felt that by doing so it would be easier to detect rigging and take necessary action.
However, there is no hard and fast rule as to the counting of votes and the Election authorities
are free to mix up the ballot papers from all the booths, if the feel that it ensured secrecy with
regard to the pattern of voting. The candidate who obtains the highest number of votes is
declared elected.