Election Process
Conduct of General Elections in India for electing a new Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha) involves management of the largest event in the world. The electorate exceeds 670 million electors in about 700000 polling stations spread across widely varying geographic and climatic zones. Polling stations are located in the snow-clad mountains in the Himalayas, the deserts of the Rajasthan and in sparsely populated islands in the Indian Ocean.
Elections to the Lok Sabha are carried out using a first-past-the-post electoral system. The country is split up into separate geographical areas, known as constituencies, and the electors can cast one vote each for a candidate (although most candidates stand as independents, most successful candidates stand as members of political parties) of their choice, the winner being the candidate who gets the maximum votes.
The election process begins with the initial consultations of ECI with state and central government bodies, considering various feasibility issues (geographical, security, seasonal issues) and logistics. After these consultations election dates are decided. Once the election dates are announced, election code-of conduct comes into effect. Each and every political party, state and central governments are to obey this code of conduct. Any avoidance comes under close scrutiny of ECI and appropriate actions are taken.
Candidates who wish to contest the election (Indian citizen of age 25 years and above) file their applications along with necessary documents, either as an Independent or as a registered Party (National, State or registered party ) candidate to the relevant authorities. After the nomination filing candidates are given a cooling off period (given by the ECI in the election notification) in which if they wish they can withdraw their candidature. Once this cooling off period is passed, the candidates may start their election campaign. Political parties come up with their election manifesto in which they highlight the kind of policies and new plans they have in offer for the next term of the Lok Sabha (State Assembly) if they form the government. .
The campaign ends 48 hours prior to the closure of voting time of the Election Day. This helps voter to decide with whom to vote.
On the Election Day, electors may utilize their voting right by casting their vote at a nearby polling station or voting booth (any person on the electoral register with age 18 years is eligible to vote provided he possesses a Voter Identification Card or other form of identity document as specified by the ECI). It is ECI’s effort to keep the number of voter to a maximum of 1500 at a polling station. These days polling is carried out using Electronic Voting Machines instead of conventional stamping the Ballot paper.
Once the polling is over in all the Parliamentary constituencies, votes are counted on the scheduled days at the stipulated counting centres and the results are announced.
Once all the results are available and depending on the outcome, if a single party or an alliance gets the majority they are invited by the President of India to form the Government.
More details of the ECI functioning and its role in Indian parliamentary system can be found at www.eci.gov.in
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| President |
| Mrs Pratibha Patil |
| Prime Minister |
| Mr.(Dr.) Manmohan Singh |
| Lok sabha Speaker |
| Meira Kumar |
| Chairman of Rajya Sabha |
| Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari |
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