Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System

Class 08 Social Science

Universal adult franchise is the cornerstone of Indian democracy. The right to vote is a responsibility, too. It needs to be taken seriously by every voter. Voter awareness is an important aspect of the right to vote.

Universal Adult Franchise

The Constitution makers decided that universal adult franchise would be a feature of Indian democracy right from the outset. This means that every adult citizen gets one vote, and all votes have equal value. Hence, every Indian citizen aged 18 and above has the right to vote - irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, education, income, etc. The word ‘universal’ connotes this.

Universal franchise is a cornerstone of Indian democracy. Elections to the Lok Sabha, the legislative assembly of every state and union territory, and all the local elections in villages and cities are based on universal franchise (Article 326 of the Constitution).

Democracy thrives when every eligible citizen can freely and fairly participate in the electoral process. Voting in elections is a powerful way for people to express their will. The Election Commission of India (ECI) organises elections in India.

Election Commission of India (ECI)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an independent constitutional body responsible for conducting free and fair elections. It was established in 1950 and conducts elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President. The first general elections in independent India were held in 1951-1952.

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

The code is followed to ensure free and fair elections, listing the dos and don’ts for leaders, political parties, and candidates that must be adhered to.

A few elements of the code:

  1. There are rules that the party in government must follow. This ensures that the resources available to the government are not used for the purpose of the elections. For example, no new schemes and projects are to be announced that may influence voters.
  2. All candidates are expected to exercise discretion and restraint to ensure that the elections take place peacefully.
  3. Influencing voters through gifts in return for votes is punishable.

Elections in India

Elections in India are often referred to as the ‘Festival of Democracy’ - a time when citizens exercise their right to choose representatives freely, fairly, and responsibly.

India follows a parliamentary system of government where citizens participate in various levels of elections - Lok Sabha (national level), state legislative assemblies (state level) and local bodies (city and village level). The country is divided into 543 constituencies for the Lok Sabha elections. The elected candidates to the Lok Sabha are known as Members of Parliament (MPs), whereas candidates elected to state assemblies are known as Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). India uses the ‘First-Past-the-Post’ electoral system, wherein the candidate receiving the most votes in a constituency wins. This means that a candidate can win without securing even 50 per cent of the total votes.

After the voting process is completed, the process of government formation begins. The political party or coalition winning a majority of the seats in the Lok Sabha forms the national government. The leader of this majority typically becomes the prime minister. Similarly, at the state level, the leader of the majority party becomes the chief minister.

Election to the Rajya Sabha

The candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha are also known as Members of Parliament (MPs), but they are chosen through indirect elections.

Of the 245 members of the Rajya Sabha, 233 are elected by the elected members of the state legislative assemblies (MLAs), while the President of India nominates 12. Each state is allotted a different number of Rajya Sabha seats based on population. For example, more populous states like Uttar Pradesh have more seats than less populous states like Arunachal Pradesh.

The Rajya Sabha is also called the Permanent House - it is never dissolved. A member of the Rajya Sabha has a six-year term. One-third of its members retire every two years, and new members are elected. There is a difference in the voting process. It uses a ‘single transferable vote system’. This is a special way of ensuring that smaller states also get fair representation in the Rajya Sabha.

Election of the President of India

The President of India is not directly elected by the common people. Instead, an electoral college is formed to carry out the election. This Electoral College consists of:

  • ƒMembers of Parliament (MPs) from both the houses of the Parliament - Lok Sabha (Lower House) and the Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
  • ƒMembers of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) from each of India’s states and the union territories of Delhi and Puducherry

The single transferable vote system is followed in this election. Since the president represents the whole country, this method ensures the support of both the central and state governments. Only directly elected representatives vote to elect the President. This maintains democratic legitimacy, as the President is meant to represent the will of the people, indirectly but meaningfully.

Election of the Vice President of India

The Vice President of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of the elected and nominated members of both Houses of Parliament. The system of single transferable vote is used.

The vice president is the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. If there are situations when the president is not able to discharge their function, the vice president steps in to play the role.