Quick Revision Notes: Class 9 Social Science (Political Science)

Chapter: Electoral Politics

Election: A mechanism by which people can choose their representatives at regular intervals and change them if they wish to do so.
Why do we need elections? In a democracy, it is impossible for all people to sit together and take daily decisions. Therefore, people choose their representatives to govern on their behalf.

For an election to be considered democratic, it must fulfill the following minimum conditions:

Right to Vote: Everyone should have one vote, and every vote must have equal value (Universal Adult Franchise).
Choice of Candidates: There should be something to choose from. Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and offer real choices to the voters.
Regular Intervals: Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
Fair Choice: The candidate preferred by the people only should get elected.
Free and Fair Elections: Elections must be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose truly.

General Elections: Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) elections are held regularly after every 5 years. All constituencies go to polls on the same day or within a few days.
By-Election: Sometimes an election is held only for one constituency to fill the vacancy caused by the death or resignation of a member.

India is divided into different areas for purposes of elections, known as constituencies.
For Lok Sabha: The country is divided into 543 constituencies. The representative elected from each constituency is called a Member of Parliament (MP).
For State Legislative Assembly: Each state is divided into specific assembly constituencies. The elected representative is called a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).
Local Elections: Similar division is done for Panchayats and Municipalities (Wards).

To protect the interests of weaker sections, the Indian Constitution provides for reserved constituencies.
Seats are reserved for:
- Scheduled Castes (SC)
- Scheduled Tribes (ST)
Currently, in the Lok Sabha, 84 seats are reserved for SCs and 47 seats are reserved for STs (as of recent delimitations).

Definition: In a democratic election, the list of those who are eligible to vote is prepared much before the election and given to everyone. This list is officially called the Electoral Roll and is commonly known as the Voters' List.
Universal Adult Franchise: In India, all citizens aged 18 years and above have the right to vote, irrespective of their caste, religion, or gender.
EPIC: Voters are issued a photo identity card called the Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to prevent impersonation.

Anyone who can be a voter can also become a candidate in elections.
Age Requirement:
- Minimum age to contest Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha election: 25 years.
- Minimum age to vote: 18 years.
Candidate's Declaration: Every candidate has to make a legal declaration giving details of:
- Serious criminal cases pending against them.
- Details of assets and liabilities of the candidate and their family.
- Educational qualifications of the candidate.

Campaigns take place for a two-week period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of polling.
Model Code of Conduct: A set of guidelines and rules by the Election Commission that candidates and parties must follow during campaigns. According to this, no party or candidate can:
- Use place of worship for election propaganda.
- Use government vehicles, aircraft, and officials for elections.
- Once elections are announced, ministers shall not lay foundation stones of any projects.

"Garibi Hatao" (Remove Poverty) – Led by Congress party led by Indira Gandhi in 1971 Lok Sabha elections.
"Save Democracy" – Janata Party in 1977.
"Land to the Left" – Left Front in West Bengal in 1977.
"Protect the Self-Respect of Telugus" – N.T. Rama Rao in Andhra Pradesh in 1983.

Polling Day: The day when voters cast their vote.
EVM (Electronic Voting Machine): A device used to store votes. Instead of ballot papers, voters press a button against the name of the candidate they want to vote for.
Counting: After polling, all EVMs are sealed and taken to a secure place. On a fixed date, all EVMs of a constituency are opened, and the votes secured by each candidate are counted. The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared elected.

Role: Elections in India are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election Commission (EC).
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): Appointed by the President of India. Once appointed, the CEC is not answerable to the President or the government.
Key Functions of EC:
- Takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections.
- Implements the Model Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
- Can order the government to follow guidelines to prevent misuse of governmental power.
- Can order a re-poll if polling is not fair in some booths.
- Counts votes and declares election results.

Turnout: People's participation in election is measured by voter turnout figures (percentage of eligible voters who actually cast their vote). In India, the turnout has either remained stable or gone up.
Acceptance of Outcome: The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India (both at the national and state levels). This proves that elections in India are truly democratic, as the verdict of the people is accepted by the defeated parties.