why did India choose FTPT system?
Answers
India adopted this system because for elections to lok sabha and state legislative assembly India has adopted the FPTP system
The reasons for success of FPTP include :
1 Simplicity and Accountability
The PR system of elections is quite complicated. It can work in small countries but it is unsuitable for a sub- continental country like india. For common voters ,the FPTP system is easy to understand and operate. Voters have to simply choose a candidate or a party while voting. Voters may give importance to either the party or thr candidate or strike a balance between both. In the PR system, voters vote for parties and representatives are chosen as on the basis of party list. As a result no one is real representative. In FPTP , the voters know and can approach the representative of their constituency and can also hold them accountable.
2 . Stable Government
The framers of indian constitution felt that PR system may not provide stable Government in the legislature and PR system may not produce clear majority since seats are alloted in legislature on the basis of vote share. The FPTP system allows largest party or coalition to form a government with a majority, more than PR system of sharung votes may give. The FPTP system therefore provides stability to parliamentary government .
3 . Wide representation
FPTP system encourages representatives of different communities to win election in a locality. The PR system would lead each community to form a nationwide party in India since the nation is full of diverse groups.
The framers of Indian constitution have lived upto the expectations of the Indian people. The FPTP syst is a simple and familiar system for ordinary voters. It helps huge parties to win majority at central and state levels. It has even discouraged parties to get votes only from one social group. Normally the functioning of FPTP system leads to a two party system. But in India first it was one party dominance while small parties existed. Sice 1989, it has led to rise of multi-party coalition in India. But in many states two party competition is emerging . Likewise, the distinct feature of Indian party system is that the rise of coalition has made it possible for new and small parties to enter into open electoral competition deapie the existence of FPTP system.