# ELECTION SEASON BLOG SERIES ( ELECTORAL PROCESS)

WELCOME TO analytIQ

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE SECOND CRUNCH OF THIS BLOG SERIES.

THIS TIME WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS ABOUT ELECTORAL PROCESS .

• ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCIES:-

THE COUNTRY IS DIVIDED INTO VARIOUS AREAS FOR PURPOSE OF ELECTION. THESE AREAS ARE GENERALLY TERMED AS ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCIES.

FOR LOK SABHA ELECTION , THE COUNTRY IS DIVIDED INTO 543 CONSTITUENCIES.

• VOTER's LIST 

THE LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IS PREPARED MUCH BEFORE THE ELECTION.

IN INDIA, ALL CITIZENS ABOVE 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE ELIGIBLE TO CAST THEIR VOTE AS INDIA SUPPORTS THE UNIVERSAL ADULT FRANCHISE  LAW.

A COMPLETE REVISION OF LIST TAKES PLACE IN EVERY FIVE YEARS.

• NOMINATION OF A CANDIDATE

THE PERSON WHO CAN CAST THE VOTES ALSO ELIGIBLE TO CONTEST IN ELECTIONS AS A LEADER.

THE PERSON SHOULD HAVE MINIMUM 25 YEARS OF AGE.

• CHALLENGES FACED BY THE ELECTION COMMISSION IN CONDUCTING FREE AND FAIR ELECTION

IN A DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS ARE THE PROCESS BY WHICH REPRESENTATIVES OF PEOPLE ARE ELECTED TO POWER. ONCE ELECTED, THESE REPRESENTATIVES DECIDE THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT AND FORMULATE POLICIES FOR SAME. IT IS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE THAT ELECTIONS ARE UNBIASED. BUT THEIR ARE VARIOUS CHALLENGES INVOLVED :-

• MONEY AND MUSCLE POWER - FIGHTING ELECTIONS ARE COSTLY AFFAIR AS CANDIDATES SPEND MONEY ON PROMOTION BY ORGANISING BIG POLITICAL RALLIES, ADVERTISEMENTS IN PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA ETC. THE LIMIT ON THIS EXPENDITURE IS AROUND RS 70 LACS AND RS 28 LACS FOR LOK SABHA AND STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES RESPECTIVELY. 

• BIASED BUREAUCRACY - FAVOURABLE POSTINGS, POST RETIREMENT JOB SECURITY, PROMOTIONS ETC ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHICH HAS MADE BUREAUCRATS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BIASNESS TOWARDS POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. THIS NEXUS HAMPERS THE CONDUCT OF FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS AS THEIR ACTS FAVOUR THOSE POLITICAL PARTIES WHO THEY WANT TO SEE IN POWER. MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT REDUCES THIS TO SOME DEGREE.

• CASTE, RELIGION AND CLASS DISPARITY - PROMOTING INTERESTS OF ONE'S OWN COMMUNITY IS NOT WRONG AND MAY HELP IN BALANCING THE DISPARITIES IN SOCIAL STRUCTURE. BUT WHEN CANDIDATES CANVASS FOR VOTES BY CHANNELING HATRED TOWARDS THE OTHER, THIS MAKES THE ELECTION UNFAIR AS SOME SOCIAL GROUPINGS OWN DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF WEALTH TO BACK THEIR CANDIDATES. SUPREME COURT RECENTLY PASSED A RULING ON THIS ACCEPTING IT AS UNFAIR AND LET'S SEE HOW THIS IS IMPLEMENTED IN FUTURE.

TO CONCLUDE, THERE ARE CHALLENGES TOWARDS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS BUT STILL WE HAVE A VIBRANT DEMOCRACY WHERE TRANSITION OF POWER IS PEACEFUL. ELECTION COMMISION OF INDIA NEEDS TO BE APPLAUDED FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN CONDUCTING THIS MAMMOTH EXERCISE AND ZEAL FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

• ELECTION CAMPAIGN 

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF ELECTION IS TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO CHOOSE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE.

DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES CONTEST THEIR POLITICAL RALLIES IN ORDER TO MAKE THE POPULATION AWARE ABOUT THEIR POLICIES.

CAMPAIGNING SHOULD BE DONE BY 6:00 PM TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION

• ELECTION LAWS 

ACCORDING TO ELECTION LAWS NO PARTY OR CANDIDATE CAN - 

• BRIBE OR THREATEN VOTES 
• APPEAL TO VOTERS IN THE NAME OF CASTE OR RELIGION 
• USE GOVERNMENT RESOURCES FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGN 

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS SLICE OF BLOG SERIES . WE WILL BE SOON UPDATING YOU WITH ANOTHER CRUNCH OF A SERIES.

THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR VALUABLE TIME AT analytIQ.

HARSHIT