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.
 MENTIMETER ACTIVITY

Think and post any one word related to

elections.

Login to www.menti.com
and use the code
displayed on the screen
to post 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 ELECTION
(i) People choose the party whose policies will
guide the government and law making.

(ii) They elect the executive which will take

major decisions.

(iii) They elect the law makers.

 FEATURES OF DEMOCRATIC
ELECTIONS
POLITICAL CANDIDATES
CHOICE PREFERRED BY
THE PEOPLE
SHOULD
UNIVERSAL GET ELECTED
ADULT FEATURES OF
FRANCHISE DEMOCRATIC
ELECTIONS

INDEPENDENT
REGULAR ELECTION
ELECTIONS COMMISSION
 DEMERITS OF POLITICAL
COMPETITION [ELECTIONS]
Some people who wish to serve
Different political the country, may not enter
politics as they may not like
parties and leaders
the idea of being dragged into
often level allegations unhealthy competition.
against one another.

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 5 a member. House if the
5 years. House is 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 BEHIND Reserved Constituencies

FORMATION
are constituencies that are
reserved for Scheduled
Castes & Scheduled Tribes
OF RESERVED and women. Only they
can contest an election from

CONSTITUENCIES
that constituency.

The Constitution makers, were worried that in an open electoral

competition, certain weaker sections may not stand a good chance to
get elected to the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.
Powerful
The weaker sections may not have the required resources, education
May not have candidates may
and contacts to contest and win elections against others.
required resources,
prevent
Those who are influential and resourceful them
may prevent from
them from
education
winning elections. Ifetc winning
that happens, our elections
Parliament and Assemblies
would be deprived of the voice of a significant section of our
population.
 ELECTORAL ROLL
(VOTERS’ LIST)
• Electoral roll is a list of
all the eligible voters in
the constituency.
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 vote
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 PERSON
 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

 ANNOUNCEMENT OF
ELECTION
Election Commission formally 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 CAMPAIGN
• Parties 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
ELECTION LAW
(i) Candidates should not bribe or threaten the voters.
(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 USED BY Let’s find out…
Slogans given by BJP led
DIFFERENT NDA in the 2014 & 2019
POLITICAL PARTIES Lok Sabha elections.
AT THE TIME OF GARIBI SAVE
HATAO by
ELECTIONS IN Congress
Party in 1971
DEMOCRACY
by Janata Party in
THE PAST Lok Sabha
elections
1977 Lok Sabha
elections

LAND TOTHE PROTECT THE

TILLER by The SELF-RESPECT
Left Front in OF THE
1977 West TELUGUS by Telugu
Bengal Desam Party in 1983
Assembly Andhra Pradesh
elections 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
AND THE PARTIES’
PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES
choice.
 COUNTING OF VOTES &
DECLARATION OF RESULT
• Ballot boxes (EVMs) are collected

after the voting.

• 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 inthe
who gets 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

many developed countries.

(iii)Ruling parties and candidates who are known to have spent huge
amounts often lose elections in India.
 ELECTION COMMISSION OF
INDIA
• Election 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 INDIA
(i) Election Commission revises the constituencies and prepares the 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

LITTLE CHOICE TO numbers in the
CITIZENS AS MOST
elections. OF THE PARTIES HAVE
THE SAME POLICIES
(iv) PeopleGIVENTO
consider RELATIVES
elections a way to pressurise the Government to adopt
AND PROGRAMMES
policies favourable to them.
CHALLENGES TO FREE AND FAIR
ELECTIONS

Big parties enjoy

In some places
an advantage
criminals may succeed
over independent
in getting theticket
candidates
from major parties.
and smaller parties.

Some families tend to Little choiceto

dominate political citizens as most
parties; tickets are of the parties have
distributed to relatives the same policies
from these families. 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.
Big parties enjoy
In some places
● Give anaadvantage
name to your politicalcriminals
party. succeed
over independent
● Symbol you would choose to represent your party.
to get theticket
candidates
● Slogan / manifesto of your party
fromfor the upcoming
major parties election.
● How and would
smalleryour
parties
party members conduct rallies / meetings to
mobilise supporters.
● ‘Model Code oftend
Some families Conduct’
to yourLittle
partychoiceto
has agreed to follow
during election
dominate campaign.
political parties; citizens as most
tickets are distributed to of the parties have
(To be done after
relatives the First Term
from these Examination)
the same policies
families. and programmes