Question

expain any three sailent features of the electoral system in india?

Answer 1

Answer:

Some of the salient features of the Indian electoral system are as follows:

(i) India has been divided into single member territorial constituencies.

(ii) Constituencies are delimited with the help of a Delimitation Commission which is appointed after the census that takes place after every ten years. The result of the revision of constituen­cies is that the areas change from election to election. For example, some part of West Delhi became part of South Delhi Constituency in 1980 election.

(iii) There was a practice that the election for the Parliament and State Assemblies were held simultaneously. There used to be one general election. However, in 1971, elections to the Parlia­ment were delinked from elections to the State Assemblies. The change had tremendous effect.

This has changed the voting behaviour of the people. Earlier the voting behaviour used to be the same at the Centre and the State. It is not necessary for the people to have the same voting behaviour in the State Assembly election as it was at the time of general election of Parliament.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(iv) Unlike U.S.A., in India any one nominated by the political party or even an independent candi­date may contest the election. It is true that political parties scrutinize the candidates carefully but not like the system established in U.S.A.

In United States, there is system of double election. Any person who expresses desire to contest the election first, he has to contest election within his own party and