Electoral Process followed during Lok Sabha or Assembly Elections: Elections in India are conducted according to the procedure laid down by law. The following process is observed:
1. Notification for Election: The process of election officially begins when on the recommendation of Election Commission, the President in case of Lok Sabha and the Governor in case of State Assembly issue a notification for the election. The election schedule from the date of issue of notification to the date of poll consists of days. Seven days are given to candidates to file nominations. The seventh day is the last /date after the issue of notification excluding Sunday. Scrutiny of nomination papers is done on the day normally after the last date of filing nominations. The candidate can withdraw his/her nomination on the second day after the scrutiny of papers. The election was held not earlier than twentieth day after the withdrawal.
2. Selection of Candidates: Then different political parties select their candidates keeping in mind their prospect of winning the elections. Sometimes, political parties also help certain independent candidates where they have not fielded their own candidates. Generally candidates fielded by political parties stand good chance of their success as compared to independent candidates.
3. Filing of Nomination: A person who intends to contest an election is required to file the nomination paper in a prescribed form indicating his name, age, postal address and serial number in the electoral rolls. The candidate is required to be duly proposed and seconded by at least two voters registered in the concerned constituency. Every candidate has to take an oath or make affirmation. These papers are then submitted to the Returning Officer, designated by the Election Commission.
4. Security Deposit: Every candidate has to make a security deposit at the time of filing nomination. For the Lok Sabha every candidate has to make a security deposit of Rs.10,000 and for State Assembly Rs.5,000. But candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are required to deposit Rs.5,000 for if contesting the Lok Sabha elections and Rs. 2,500 for contesting Vidhan Sabha elections. The security deposit is forfeited if the candidate fails to get at least 1/6 of the total valid votes polled.
5. Allotment of Symbols: National parties have their permanent symbols but other parties and independent candidates are also allotted symbols so that even the ordinary voter can recognize the different parties and candidates very easily.
6. Scrutiny and withdrawal: All nomination papers received by the Returning Officer are scrutinised on the day fixed by the Election Commission. This is done to ensure that all papers are filled according to the procedure laid down and accompanied by required security deposit. The Returning Officer is empowered to reject a nomination paper on any one of the following ground:
(i) If the candidate is less than 25 years of age.
(ii) If he/she has not made security deposit.
(iii) If he/she is holding any office of profit.
(iv) If he/she is not listed as a voter anywhere in the country.
The second day after the scrutiny of nomination papers is the last date for the withdrawal of the candidates. In case that day happens to be a holiday or Sunday, the day immediately after that is fixed as the last day for the withdrawal.
7. Issuing of Election Manifestos: Then the different parties print their election manifestos so that the voters may easily know their programmes and policies very closely.
8.Election Campaign:
(a) Campaigning is the process by which a candidate tries to persuade the voters to vote for him rather than others. During this period, the candidates try to travel through their constituency to influence as many voters as possible to vote in their favour.
(b) The total free time is fixed by the Election Commission which is allotted to all the political parties. Campaigning stops 48 hours before the day of polling. A number of campaign techniques are involved in the election process. Some of these are :
(i) Holding of public meetings.
(ii) Distribution of handbills, highlighting the main issues of their election manifesto is a document issued by political party. It is declaration of policies and programmes of the party concerned about this you will read in details in the following Lesson 19.
(iii) Door to door appeal by influential people in the party.
(iv) Broadcasting and telecasting of speeches by various political leaders.
9. Model Code of Conduct: During the campaign period the political parties and the contesting candidates are expected to abide by a model code of conduct evolved by the Election Commission of India on the basis of the consensus among political parties. It comes into force the moment schedule of election is announced by the Election Commission. The code of conduct is as follows:
(i) Political parties and contesting candidates should not use religious places for election campaign.
(ii) Such speeches should not be delivered in a way to create hatred among different communities belonging to different religions, castes and languages, etc.
(iii) Official machinery should not be used for election work.
(iv) No new grants can be sanctioned, no new schemes or projects can be started once the election dates are announced.
(v) One cannot misuse mass media for partisan coverage.
10. Voting,Counting of Votes and Declaration of Results: Then on the specific day, the voting is held on the basis of the secret ballot. After the voting is over, the ballot boxes are sealed and taken to the counting centres. There the votes are counted and soon after the result is declared.
11. Filing of Election Petition: If any candidate is not satisfied with the election results, he can go to the court of law to redress his complaint.
