CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE PROJECT

NEED FOR THE STUDY
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER 2

INDUSTRY PROFILE

CHAPTER 3

COMPANY PROFILE

CHAPTER 4

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF A COMPANY

CHAPTER 5

FINDINGS
SUGGESTIONS
CONCLUSION
BIBILOGRAPHY

The Election Commission of India

INTRODUCTION OF ECI

The Election Commission of India is a permanent body which has been vested with the
responsibility of directing and controlling the entire process of conducting elections. The
commission is known for upholding the principle of free and fair elections as mentioned in the
Constitution.

A thriving and vibrant electoral democracy through periodic elections, that are free, fair and
credible, has been Indias distinct and durable identity at the global stage. The Election
Commission of India is custodian to resources that include knowledge, skills, expertise and
experience in terms of election management and related operations for which there has been an
ever expanding global demand. With sixty years of experience in management of the largest and
the most complex of the elections in the world, and with a high degree of efficiency and
credibility by global recognition, several countries justifiably look up to share ECIs expertise
and skills in these critical areas that safeguard democracy. The Commission has positively
responded to this requirement conveyed by several countries. In this context, the Election
Commission of India has constantly engaged itself and others in generating innovative ideas and
practices to respond to the emerging challenges. This has been done through bilateral and
multilateral cooperation in promoting participatory democracy and best practices in election
administration, professional contact and exchange activities, study and observation missions and
technical support and advice. There has been a visible movement of late in several parts of the
world in the direction of election based democracy, and the ECI is increasingly being approached
for sharing its skills and knowledge in election management.

NEED OF THE STUDY

SCOPE OF THE STUDY
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
History & Development of Election Commission

The Election Commission was established on 25th January 1950 with an objective of supervising
all elections to the Parliament of India, state legislatures and to the office of the President and the
Vice-President of India. In the first few decades of its existence, the commission was led by a
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Sukumar Sen was the first CEC of India.

Much later in 1989, two additional commissioners were appointed to the commission for the first
time. However, they remained in office for a brief period. With the enactment of The Election
Commissioner Amendment Act (1993), the poll commission became a multi-member body. The
concept of multi-member Commission became operational once again after two additional
Election Commissioners were appointed.

One of the major developments brought about by the poll panel was the introduction of EVM
Electronic Voting Machines. The concept behind this initiative was to reduce malpractices and
bring in more transparency in electoral process. Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) were
issued for the first time in 1993 in a bid to ensure transparency. The Commission came up with
its website in 1998 and in the same year it took the call of computerizing electoral rolls.

Composition of the Election Commission of India

Presently, the Election Commission comprises a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election
Commissioners. According to Article 324 of the Indian Constitution, the President appoints the
Chief Election Commissioner and such other Commissioners as he may from time to time fix.
The CEC and other Election Commissioners are appointed for a period of six years, or up to the
age of 65 years. When an Election Commissioner is appointed, the CEC acts as the Chairman of
the Commission.
Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from his office on the grounds of misconduct or
incapacity if the two-third members in both houses of the Parliament give their consent to the
decision. The President can remove other Election Commissioners if it is being recommended by
the CEC. Prior to the general elections or state elections, the President may also appoint
Regional Commissioners to assist the Election Commission in performing its duties.

The Secretariat, which comprises about 300 officials, helps the Commission perform its
executive functions. The secretariat is headed by two deputy election commissioners, who are
selected by the Commission from the national civil service. On a state level, its the chief
electoral officer (CEO) who supervises the election work. The Commission selects the electoral
officer from senior civil servants recommended by the state government.

Functions of the Election Commission of India

The Commission has taken several measures to hold free & fair elections on a periodic basis.
As a constitutional body, it issues a Model Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates
to prevent malpractices during elections. The guidelines for conduct of political parties and their
candidates are laid down by the commission. Every new political party has to get itself registered
with the commission.

Putting checks and balances in place is what the Election Commission is expected to do. Time
and again, it fixes limits on the amount of money a candidate can spend for election campaigns.
The observers appointed by the Election Commission keep an eye on the election expenditure.
Moreover, the candidates are also required to give details of expenditure at least 30 days prior to
the declaration of results. Similarly, the Commission takes details of the candidates assets while
they submit the nomination paper.

In order to bring down the election expenses, the Commission reduced the campaign period by a
week from 21 to 14 days for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Moreover, it is incumbent
upon the Commission to prohibit publication and dissemination of results of opinion polls. All
these functions are in addition to the fundamental roles including preparation of electoral rolls
and announcement of election dates.

Criticism of Election Commission of India

Questions have been asked on the effectiveness of the Election Commission and the entity has
often come under heavy criticism for not acting against the political parties who violated poll
code and misused official machinery. Although the poll panel puts a limit on poll expenses,
political parties hardly adhere to the financial Lakshman Rekha. It did vitiate the political
atmosphere with large-scale corruption.

Sometimes, the Commission lacks enough teeth to enforce discipline in the electoral processes.
Since the model code of conduct doesnt have any statutory backing, it is not strictly enforced.
The Commission has faced criticism for being unable to put an end to corruption in the electoral
process.

Elections form the backbone of democracy wherein people elect their political representatives
and decide the composition of the government. Holding free and fair elections on a state and
national level is integral to upholding the principles of democratic set up in India. From
parliamentary elections to the presidential polls, India goes through the electoral process at
regular intervals.

Apart from the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act of 1952 and the Representation
of the People Act of 1951, elections are conducted as per the provisions of the Conduct of
Elections Rules, 1961. Its interesting to note how each election has its unique set of
requirements and how meticulously these requirements are met.

Lok Sabha Elections

After every five years, the entire country gears up to decide their representatives in the Lower
House of Parliament. For Lok Sabha elections (or General Elections), the country is split into
different constituencies, and the winner is elected from each constituency. As per Article 324 of
the Indian Constitution, the power of superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of
elections is vested with the Election Commission of India. In its efforts to ensure smooth conduct
of the mammoth electoral exercise, the commission is assisted by two Deputy Election
Commissioners, who are appointed from the national civil services.

Rajya Sabha Elections

Unlike Lok Sabha, the members of Rajya Sabha are not directly elected by the electorates. The
elections to the Upper House of the Parliament happen through the Legislative Assembly of each
state by using the single transferable vote system. Out of the maximum strength of 250
members, 238 are elected by the legislative assemblies and 12 are nominated by the President of
India. The representatives of states and Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the
elected members of the Legislative Assemblies in accordance with the system of proportional
representation. With one-third of its members retiring every two years, the elections to Rajya
Sabha happen at respective intervals.

State Legislature Elections

Elections to the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) are conducted in the same way the Lok
Sabha elections are carried out. Electorates consisting of citizens in a state above the age of 18
vote for their state representatives. Each legislative Assembly is formed for a five-year term
following which all seats again go to the polls.

The elections to Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishads) replicate the same process as that of
Rajya Sabha, wherein the representatives are chosen by the members of the lower house.
Besides, the Governor also nominates certain members from the field of art, science, literature,
social service and co-operative movement. The elections to these legislative councils are held
under the system of proportional representation.

At the state level, the entire electoral process is monitored and supervised by the Election
Commission. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state has the responsibility of ensuring
that the polling takes place as per the constitutional provisions. The CEO is helped by a team of
supporting staff.

Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections

The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the members of the legislative assemblies of every state and union
territory. The presidential election is conducted before the present presidents term gets over.

As per the provision of Article 55 of Indian Constitution, a uniformity has to be maintained in the
scale of representation of the different states. Hence, the election of the President is held in
accordance with the system of proportional representation and the voting happens through a
secret ballot.

The Vice-President is elected by a direct vote of all members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The system of proportional representation is followed and the votes are cast through a secret
ballot. Its the Election Commission that conducts the election to the office of the Vice-President.

Election Commission of India Conducts

The Election Commission conducts elections according to the prevalent laws in India. The
Election Commission is entrusted with the task of ensuring free and fair elections. The main
functions of the Election Commission of India are briefly discussed below

Functions

Conduct and Supervision of Elections The Election Commission conducts, directs, controls
and supervises all elections to

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of Parliament;

State Legislative Assemblies and the Legislative Councils where it exists;

The office of the President and Vice-President and

All by-elections to Parliament and State Legislature.

Electoral Rolls

The Commission sees to it that correct electoral rolls are prepared. The names of all eligible
voters irrespective of their religion, race, caste, sex or any of them, who are otherwise not
disqualified under any law must be registered as voters. The Commission shall also try to photo-
identity cards to the voters.

Staff Requisition

The Election Commission makes every effort for the smooth conduct of elections. The
Commission also requests the President or the Governor, as the case may be, to make available
such staff and army as may be necessary for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Conduct of the Polls

Elections are hotly contested affairs, for different political parties try all possible means to have
their candidates elected. The Election Commission has thus to be very vigilant in order to guard
against malpractices including false voting, rigging, booth jams, managing the voting
fraudulently etc. Peaceful and lawful conduct of polls depends very much on the joint endeavor
of the State Government and the Election Commission.

Appointment of observers

The Commission may appoint such number of poll observers which it considers necessary, for
ensuring free and fair elections.

Election Schedule
The election schedule is announced by the Election Commission through Press Conference. The
announcement is followed by the publication of The model code of conduct. On publication of
notification, the candidates can file their nominations.

Quasi Judicial Functions

The Commission settles the disputes between the splinter groups of the recognized parties as its
quasi-judicial jurisdiction. It ensures that Model Code of Conduct is followed by the political
parties. It also sends its opinion to the higher courts in relation to the cases of the persons found
guilty of corrupt practices.

Holding of by-elections

Whenever there is a mid-term vacancy in Parliament or State Legislature the Election

Commission holds by-elections to fill up vacancies.

Cancellation of Polls

The Election Commission is responsible for holding elections. But if the Commission, on the
basis of information and findings, comes to the decision that the elections have been rigged at
any polling booth, it has the power to cancel the elections of those booths and can order fresh re-
poll in those booths. Even the Commission can cancel the election result of a constituency and
order fresh pool.

Recognition of Political Parties and Allotment of Symbols

It is one of the important functions of the Election Commission to recognize political parties both
at the National and Regional levels and allot appropriate symbols to them.

Disqualifying the Candidates

The Election Commission has the power to disqualify a candidate if he or she does not file
election returns within a prescribed period. The Commission also advises the President about the
disqualification of MPs and MLAs, if they accept paid government assignments.

Code of Conduct
The Commission formulates the code of conduct to be observed by the political parties and
candidates in election period and maintains vigilance to ensure that those are strictly followed.

Functions related to the Political Parties

The Commission also observes the conduct of registered Political parties.

Media

The Commission also conducts briefings for the mass media during the election period. Media
persons are allowed to get facilities to know the necessary information about the poll and
counting.

ABOUT ECI

A Constitutional Body

India is a Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic and the largest democracy in the World.
The modern Indian nation state came into existence on 15th of August 1947. Since then free
and fair elections have been held at regular intervals as per the principles enshrined in the
Constitution, Electoral Laws and System.

The Constitution of India has vested in the Election Commission of India the
superintendence, direction and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to
Parliament and Legislature of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President
of India.

Election Commission of India is a permanent Constitutional Body. The Election Commission

was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950. The Commission
celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2001. For details, please click here

Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner. It currently consists of
Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
For the first time two additional Commissioners were appointed on 16th October 1989 but
they had a very short tenure till 1st January 1990. Later, on 1st October 1993 two additional
Election Commissioners were appointed. The concept of multi-member Commission has
been in operation since then, with decision making power by majority vote.

Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners

The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. They
have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They enjoy the
same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of
India. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through
impeachment by Parliament.

Transaction of Business

The Commission transacts its business by holding regular meetings and also by circulation
of papers. All Election Commissioners have equal say in the decision making of the
Commission. The Commission, from time to time, delegates some of its executive functions
to its officers in its Secretariat.

The Setup

The Commission has a separate Secretariat at New Delhi, consisting of about 300 officials,
in a hierarchical set up.

Two or three Deputy Election Commissioners and Director Generals who are the senior most
officers in the Secretariat assist the Commission. They are generally appointed from the
national civil service of the country and are selected and appointed by the Commission with
tenure. Directors, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries, Under Secretaries and Deputy
Directors support the Deputy Election Commissioners and Director Generals in turn. There
is functional and territorial distribution of work in the Commission. The work is organised in
Divisions, Branches and sections; each of the last mentioned units is in charge of a Section
Officer. The main functional divisions are Planning, Judicial, Administration, Systematic
Voters Education and Electoral Participation, SVEEP, Information Systems, Media and
Secretariat Co-ordination. The territorial work is distributed among separate units
responsible for different Zones into which the 35 constituent States and Union Territories of
the country are grouped for convenience of management.

At the state level, the election work is supervised, subject to overall superintendence,
direction and control of the Commission, by the Chief Electoral Officer of the State, who is
appointed by the Commission from amongst senior civil servants proposed by the concerned
state government. He is, in most of the States, a full time officer and has a small team of
supporting staff.

At the district and constituency levels, the District Election Officers, Electoral Registration
Officers and Returning Officers, who are assisted by a large number of junior functionaries,
perform election work. They all perform their functions relating to elections in addition to
their other responsibilities. During election time, however, they are available to the
Commission, more or less, on a full time basis.

The gigantic task force for conducting a countrywide general election consists of nearly five
million polling personnel and civil police forces. This huge election machinery is deemed to
be on deputation to the Election Commission and is subject to its control, superintendence
and discipline during the election period, extending over a period of one and half to two
months.

Budget & Expenditure

The Secretariat of the Commission has an independent budget, which is finalised directly in
consultation between the Commission and the Finance Ministry of the Union Government.
The latter generally accepts the recommendations of the Commission for its budgets. The
major expenditure on actual conduct of elections is, however, reflected in the budgets of the
concerned constituent units of the Union - States and Union Territories. If elections are being
held only for the Parliament, the expenditure is borne entirely by the Union Government
while for the elections being held only for the State Legislature, the expenditure is borne
entirely by the concerned State. In case of simultaneous elections to the Parliament and State
Legislature, the expenditure is shared equally between the Union and the State Governments.
For Capital equipment, expenditure related to preparation for electoral rolls and the scheme
for Electors' Identity Cards too, the expenditure is shared equally.

Executive Interference Barred

In the performance of its functions, Election Commission is insulated from executive

interference. It is the Commission which decides the election schedules for the conduct of
elections, whether general elections or bye-elections. Again, it is the Commission which
decides on the location polling stations, assignment of voters to the polling stations, location
of counting centres, arrangements to be made in and around polling stations and counting
centres and all allied matters.

Political Parties & the Commission

Political parties are registered with the Election Commission under the law. The Commission
ensures inner party democracy in their functioning by insisting upon them to hold their
organizational elections at periodic intervals. Political Parties so registered with it are
granted recognition at the State and National levels by the Election Commission on the basis
of their poll performance at general elections according to criteria prescribed by it. The
Commission, as a part of its quasi-judicial jurisdiction, also settles disputes between the
splinter groups of such recognized parties.

Election Commission ensures a level playing field for the political parties in election fray,
through strict observance by them of a Model Code of Conduct evolved with the consensus
of political parties.

The Commission holds periodical consultations with the political parties on matters
connected with the conduct of elections; compliance of Model Code of Conduct and new
measures proposed to be introduced by the Commission on election related matters.

Advisory Jurisdiction & Quasi-Judicial Functions

Under the Constitution, the Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post
election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures. Further, the
cases of persons found guilty of corrupt practices at elections which come before the
Supreme Court and High Courts are also referred to the Commission for its opinion on the
question as to whether such person shall be disqualified and, if so, for what period. The
opinion of the Commission in all such matters is binding on the President or, as the case may
be, the Governor to whom such opinion is tendered.

The Commission has the power to disqualify a candidate who has failed to lodge an account
of his election expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. The
Commission has also the power for removing or reducing the period of such disqualification
as also other disqualification under the law.

Judicial Review

The decisions of the Commission can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme
Court of the India by appropriate petitions. By long standing convention and several judicial
pronouncements, once the actual process of elections has started, the judiciary does not
intervene in the actual conduct of the polls. Once the polls are completed and result declared,
the Commission cannot review any result on its own. This can only be reviewed through the
process of an election petition, which can be filed before the High Court, in respect of
elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. In respect of elections for the offices of
the President and Vice President, such petitions can only be filed before the Supreme Court.

Media Policy

The Commission has a comprehensive policy for the media. It holds regular briefings for the
mass media-print and electronic, on a regular basis, at close intervals during the election
period and on specific occasions as necessary on other occasions. The representatives of the
media are also provided facilities to report on actual conduct of poll and counting. They are
allowed entry into polling stations and counting centres on the basis of authority letters
issued by the Commission. They include members of both international and national media.
The Commission also publishes statistical reports and other documents which are available
in the public domain. The library of the Commission is available for research and study to
members of the academic fraternity; media representatives and anybody else interested.
The Commission has, in co-operation with the state owned media - Doordarshan and All
India Radio, taken up a major campaign for awareness of voters. The Prasar Bharti
Corporation which manages the national Radio and Television networks, has brought out
several innovative and effective short clips for this purpose.

Voter Education

Voters Participation in the democratic and electoral processes is integral to the successful
running of any democracy and the very basis of wholesome democratic elections.
Recognising this, Election Commission of India, in 2009, formally adopted Voter Education
and Electoral participation as an integral part of its election management.

International Co-operation

India is a founding member of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral
Assistance (IDEA), Stockholm, Sweden. In the recent past, the Commission has expanded
international contacts by way of sharing of experience and expertise in the areas of Electoral
Management and Administration, Electoral Laws and Reforms. Election Officials from the
national electoral bodies and other delegates from the several countries - Russia, Sri Lanka,
Nepal, Indonesia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nigeria, Namibia, Bhutan, Australia,
the United States and Afghanistan etc. have visited the Commission for a better
understanding of the Indian Electoral Process. The Commission has also provided experts
and observers for elections to other countries in co-operation with the United Nations and the
Commonwealth Secretariat.

New Initiatives

The Commission has taken several new initiatives in the recent past. Notable among these
are, a scheme for use of State owned Electronic Media for broadcast/telecast by Political
parties, checking criminalization of politics, computerization of electoral rolls, providing
electors with Identity Cards, simplifying the procedure for maintenance of accounts and
filling of the same by candidates and a variety of measures for strict compliance of Model
 Code of Conduct, for providing a level playing field to contestants during the elections.

Role of Election Commission:

Guardian of Free & Fair Elections

One of the most important features of the democratic polity is elections at regular intervals.
Democracy is the

Government of the people, By the people, And for the people.

India has an asymmetric federal government, with elected officials at the federal, state and local
levels. At the national level, the head of government, Prime Minister, is elected by members of
the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament of India. [1] The elections are conducted by
the Election Commission of India. All members of the Lok Sabha, except two who can be
nominated by the President of India, are directly elected through general elections which take
place every five years, in normal circumstances, by universal adult suffrage and a first-past-the-
post system.[2] Members of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, are elected
by elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states and the Electoral college for the
Union Territories of India.[3]

The 2014 general election involved an electorate of 863,500,000 people (larger than both EU and
US elections combined).[4][5] Declared expenditure has trebled since 1989 to almost $300 million,
using more than one million electronic voting machines.[6] The size of the huge electorate
mandates that elections be conducted in a number of phases (there were nine phases in the 2014
general election). It involves a number of step-by-step processes from announcement of election
dates to the announcement of results paving the way for the formation of the new government.

Contents

[hide]
1Major types of elections in the country[7]

2Indian Electoral System

3Indian Political Parties

4Election Commission of India

5Indelible Ink

6Government Expenditure

7Modern Elections

7.1Electronic voting machines

7.2Voter verifiable paper audit trail system

7.3NOTA

7.4Absentee voting

8See also

9References

10External links

Major types of elections in the country[7][edit]

Executive

President and Vice-President (indirectly elected ie through electoral college of India)

Union Legislature (Parliament of India)

Lok Sabha (Lower house) (directly elected)

Rajya Sabha (Upper house) (indirectly elected)

State Legislature
State Assemblies (directly elected)

Legislative Council (indirectly elected)

Elections to Local Bodies

Municipal Corporation

Gram Panchayat Elections

Zila Panchayat Elections

Block Panchayat Elections

Indian Electoral System[edit]

The President of India is elected for a five-year term by an electoral college consisting of
members of federal legislature and state legislatures (i.e. all the elected member of parliament
and all elected members of all legislative assemblies of the country).

The House of the People (Lok Sabha) represents citizens of India (as envisaged by the
Constitution of India, currently the members of Lok Sabha are 545, out of which 543 are elected
for five-year term and two members represent the Anglo-Indian community). The 543 members
are elected under the plurality ('first past the post') electoral system.[8] The Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) has 250 members, 238 members elected for a six-year term, with one-third
retiring every two years. The members are indirectly elected, this being achieved by the votes of
legislators in the state and union (federal) territories. The elected members are chosen under the
system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. The twelve
nominated members are usually an eclectic mix of eminent artists (including actors), scientists,
jurists, sportspersons, businessmen and journalists and common people.[3]

Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of
the adult suffrage. The maximum strength of the House envisaged by the Constitution is 552,
which is made up by election of up to 530 members to represent the States, up to 20 members to
represent the Union Territories and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community
to be nominated by the President, if, in his/ her opinion, that community is not adequately
represented in the lower house ie Lok Sabha. In 1952 Lok Sabha Elections there were 1874
candidates, which rose to 13952 candidates in 1996. However, in 2009 Lok Sabha Elections only
8070 candidates contested.[9] Historical share of seats and votes of major political parties are
ranked by the number of seats won.[10]

*
12 seats in Assam and 1 in Meghalaya did not vote.[15]

AIADMK - All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

BJP - Bharatiya Janata Party

BJS - Bharatiya Jana Sangh

BLD - Bharatiya Lok Dal

CPI - Communist Party of India

CPM - Communist Party of India (Marxist)

INC - Indian National Congress

INC(I) - Indian National Congress (Indira)

JD - Janata Dal

JNP(S) - Janata Party (Secular)

JP - Janata Party

PSP - Praja Socialist Party

RLD - Rashtriya Lok Dal

SOC - Socialist Party

SP - Samajwadi Party

SWA - Swatantra Party

TDP - Telugu Desam Party

Indian Political Parties[edit]

Indian National Congress dominated the Indian political scene under the leadership of Jawaharlal
Nehru from the independence in 1947 until his death in 1964. The party continued its dominance
under the leadership of K Kamaraj and Lal Bahadur Shastri. The Congress party was split into
two in the 1970s and Indira Gandhi led Congress (I) to election victory. But the winning run was
broken for the first time in 1977, with the defeat of the party led by Indira Gandhi, by an unlikely
coalition of all the major other parties, which protested against the imposition of a
controversial emergency from 19751977. But, Indira Gandhi regained power soon after and her
son Rajiv Gandhi led the party after her assassination. A coalition led by VP Singh swept to
power in 1989 in the wake of major allegations of corruption against then Prime Minister, Rajiv
Gandhi. But the coalition lost steam in 1990 necessitating new elections with the congress party
again emerging victorious under the leadership of P V Narasimha Rao.

In 1996, the election results led to a coalition system wherein no single party achieved a majority
in the Parliament to form a government, but rather has to depend on a process of coalition
building with other parties to form a block and claim a majority to be invited to form the
government. This has been a consequence of strong regional parties which ride on the back of
regional aspirations. There were multiple governments within a span of few years led by Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, I K Gujral and H D Deve Gowda.

In 1999, National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power and
became the first coalition government to complete the full term. For the next decade, congress
led coalition United Progressive Alliance formed the government under Manmohan Singh. In the
recent elections held in 2014, the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata
Party came to power with Bharatiya Janata Party achieving a simple majority on its own by
securing 282 seats. Narendra Modi, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, is now serving his
first term as the Prime Minister of India.

While parties like the Telugu Desam Party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and
the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have traditionally been strong regional contenders, the 1990s
saw the emergence of other regional players such as Indian National Lok Dal, Shiromani Akali
Dal, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal. These parties are
traditionally based on regional aspirations like Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Shiv Sena or
strongly influenced by caste considerations like Bahujan Samaj Party which claims to represent
the Dalits.

Election Commission of India[edit]

The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, constitutionally established federal

authority responsible for administering all the electoral processes in the Republic of India. Under
the supervision of the commission, free and fair elections have been held in India at regular
intervals as per the principles enshrined in the Constitution. The Election Commission has the
power of superintendence, direction and control of all elections to the Parliament of India and
the state legislatures and of elections to the office of the President of India and the Vice-President
of India.[16] Elections are conducted according to the constitutional provisions, supplemented by
laws made by Parliament. The major laws are Representation of the People Act, 1950, which
mainly deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, the Representation of the People
Act, 1951 which deals, in detail, with all aspects of conduct of elections and post election
disputes. The Supreme Court of India has held that where the enacted laws are silent or make
insufficient provision to deal with a given situation in the conduct of elections, the Election
Commission has the residuary powers under the Constitution to act in an appropriate manner.
Originally the commission had only a single Chief Election Commissioner. Two additional
Commissioners were appointed to the commission for the first time on 16 October 1989, but they
had a very short tenure until 1 January 1990. The Election Commissioner Amendment Act, 1993
made the Election Commission a multi-member body. Later, on 1 October 1993, two additional
Election Commissioners were appointed. The concept of a multi-member Commission has been
in operation since then, with decision-making power by majority vote.

Electoral process Electoral Process in India starts with the declaration of dates by the election
commission. Publishing of electoral rolls is a key process that happens before the elections and is
vital for the conduct of elections in India. The Indian Constitution sets the eligibility of an
individual for voting as any person who is a citizen of India and above 18 years of age. It is the
responsibility of the eligible voters to enroll their names. The model code of conduct comes in
force from the day the dates are announced.
The candidates are required to file the nomination papers following which the candidate list is
published after scrutiny. No party is allowed to use the government resources for campaigning.
No party is allowed to bribe the candidates before elections. The government cannot start a
project during the election period. The campaigning ends at 600 pm of the second last day before
the polling day.

The polling is held normally from 700 am to 500 pm, whereas it might be changed under special
circumstances. The Collector of each district is in charge of polling. Government employees are
employed as poll officers at the polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are being
increasingly used instead of ballot boxes to prevent election fraud via booth capturing, which is
heavily prevalent in certain parts of India. An indelible ink is applied usually on the left index
finger of the voter as an indicator that the voter has cast his vote. This practice has been followed
since the 1962 general elections to prevent a bad vote. Re-polling happens if the initial polling is
unsuccessful due to reasons such as adverse weather, violence etc. The polled votes are counted
to announce the winner. India follows first past the post methodology to declare the winner.

Indelible Ink[edit]

One of the earliest achievements of CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), was to
counter the challenge of fraudulent voting that research work on formulating indelible ink was
initiated. Founding father of Indeliable Ink Dr. M. L. Goel and his team of Scientists in 1950's
started Chemical Division, NPL (National Physical Laboratory) now called the Analytical
Chemistry Section.
Ink used in India Elections

Ink Bottle pledge

As the ink is photo-sensitive, it needs to be protected from exposure to direct sun rays. Therefore,
amber-coloured plastic containers are used for storing the ink, which in earlier times was stored
in brown-coloured glass bottles. On application, the ink remains on the fingernail for at least two
days, to even up to a month depending upon the person's body temperature and the environment.
The ink contains silver nitrate, which on exposure to UV light gets darker.

The precise protocol for making this ink including chemical composition and the quantity of
each constituent is not known to many people, though the basic chemical formula of this ink has
not been altered since 1952.

Government Expenditure[edit]

The cost per voter in the 2014 general elections was Rs 17, a twenty-fold increase over the first
election, held in 1952. The total expenditure for the 2014 general election was 37.5 crore.[17]

Modern Elections[edit]

Electronic voting machines[edit]

Balloting Unit (left), control unit (right)

Electronic voting machines (EVM) are being used in Indian general and state elections to
implement electronic voting in part from 1999 elections and in total since 2004 elections. The
EVMs reduce the time in both casting a vote and declaring the results compared to the old paper
ballot system. After rulings of Delhi High Court and Supreme Court and demands from various
political parties, Election Commission decided to introduce EVMs with Voter-verified paper
audit trail (VVPAT)system.

Voting machine demo

Voter verifiable paper audit trail system[edit]

On 14 August 2013, the Government of India amended the elections rules to permit the use of
the Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system. The first election to implement the new
system was a by-election held in the 51 Noksen (Assembly Constituency) of Nagaland.[18] Voter-
verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system is introduced in 8 of 543 parliamentary constituencies
as a pilot project in Indian general election, 2014.[19][20][21][22] VVPAT is implemented
in Lucknow, Gandhinagar, Bangalore South, Chennai Central, Jadavpur, Raipur, Patna
Sahib and Mizoram constituencies.[23][24][25][26][27][28] Generated slip tells voter to which party or
candidate vote has been given and also includes name of voter, constituency and polling booth. [29]
[30][31][32][33]

NOTA[edit]

"None of the above" is a voting option in India that would allow voters who support none of the
candidates available to them to register an official vote of "none of the above", which is currently
allowed under India election regulation.[33] The Election Commission of India told the Supreme
Court in 2009 that it wished to offer the voter a None of the above button on voting machines;
the government, however, has generally opposed this option.[34] On 27 September 2013,
Supreme Court of India pronounced a judgement that citizen's of India have Right to Negative
Vote by exercising None of the above (NOTA) option in EVMs and ballot papers. The judgment
was passed on a PIL filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties, an NGO in 2009.[35][36]
[37]

The Election Commission has implemented this option of "none of the above" voting option in
EVM machines w.e.f.five states polls starting from November 2013. However it does not mean
that if 'NOTA' gets highest votes the election will be conducted again, rather even in that case,
the candidate with the highest votes will be treated as elected candidate.[34]

Absentee voting[edit]

An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official
polling station or to which the voter is normally allocated. Numerous methods have been devised
to facilitate this. Increasing the ease of access to absentee ballots is seen by many as one way to
improve voter turnout, though some countries require that a valid reason, such as infirmity or
travel, be given before a voter can participate in an absentee ballot.Currently, India does not have
an absentee ballot system for all citizens except in few exceptions. [35][36][37] Section 19 of The
Representation of the People Act (RPA)-1950 [38] allows a person to register to vote if he or she is
above 18 years of age and is an 'ordinary resident' of the residing constituency i.e. living at the
current address for 6 months or longer. Section 20 of the above Act disqualifies a non-resident
Indian (NRI) from getting his/her name registered in the electoral rolls. Consequently, it also
prevents a NRI from casting his/her vote in elections to the Parliament and to the State
Legislatures. In August 2010, Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill-2010 which
allows voting rights to NRI's was passed in both Lok Sabha with subsequent gazette notifications
on 24 November 2010.[39] With this NRI's will now be able to vote in Indian elections but have to
be physically present at the time of voting. Several civic society organisations have urged the
government to amend the RPA act to allow NRI's and people on the move to cast their vote
through absentee ballot system.[40][41] People for Lok Satta has been actively pushing combination
of internet and postal ballot as a viable means for NRI voting.[42]

STATISTICAL REPORTS OF GENERAL ELECTION TO LOKSABHA

2014

2009 Vol I, II, III 2004 Vol I, II, III 1999 Vol I, II, III 1998 Vol I, II

1996 Vol I, II 1992 Vol I, II 1991 Vol I, II 1989 Vol I, II

1985 Vol I, II 1984 Vol I, II 1980 Vol I, II 1977 Vol I, II

1971 Vol I, II 1967 Vol I, II 1962 Vol I, II 1957 Vol I, II

1951 Vol I, II

STATISTICAL REPORTS OF GENERAL ELECTION TO STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(VIDHANSABHA)

STATES YEARS

Andhra 2014 2009 2004 1999 1994 1989 1985 1983 1978 1972 1967 1962 1957 1955
Pradesh

Arunachal
2014 2009 2004 1999 1995 1990 1984 1980 1978
Pradesh

Assam 2016 2011 2006 2001 1996 1991 1985 1983 1978 1972 1967 1962 1957 1951

2015 2010 Oct

Bihar
2005 Feb2005 2000 1995 1990 1985 1980 1977 1972 1969 1967 1962 1957 1951

Chhattisgar
2013 2008 2003
h

Delhi 2015 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1983 1977 1972 1951

Goa 2012 2007 2002 1999 1994 1989 1984 1980 1977 1972 1967

Gujarat 2012 2007 2002 1998 1995 1990 1985 1980 1975 1972 1967 1962

Haryana 2014 2009 2005 2000 1996 1991 1987 1982 1977 1972 1968 1967

Himachal
2012 2007 2003 1998 1993 1990 1985 1982 1977 1972 1967 1951
Pradesh

Jammu &
2014 2008 2002 1996 1987 1983. 1977 1972 1967 1962
Kashmir

Jharkhand 2014 2009 2005

Karnataka 2013 2008 2004 1999 1994 1989 1985 1983 1978 1972 1967 1962 1957

Kerala 2016 2011 2006 2001 1996 1991 1987 1982 1980 1977 1970 1967 1965 1960 1957

Madhya
2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1990 1985 1980 1977 1972 1967 1962 1957 1951
Pradesh

Maharashtr
2014 2009 2004 1999 1995 1990 1985 1980 1978 1972 1967 1962
a

Manipur 2012 2007 2002 2000 1995 1990 1984 1980 1974 1972 1967

Meghalaya 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1988 1983 1978 1972
Mizoram 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1989 1987 1984 1979 1978 1972

Nagaland 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1989 1987 1982 1977 1974 1969 1964

Orissa 2014 2009 2004 2000 1995 1990 1985 1980 1977 1974 1971 1967 1961 1957 1951

Punjab 2012 2007 2002 1997 1992 1985 1980 1977 1972 1969 1967 1962 1957 1951

Pondicherr
2016 2011 2006 2001 1996 1991 1990 1985 1980 1977 1974 1969 1964
y

Rajasthan 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1990 1985 1980 1977 1972 1967 1962 1957 1951

Sikkim 2014 2009 2004 1999 1994 1989 1985 1979

Tamil Nadu 2016 2011 2006 2001 1996 1991 1989 1984 1980 1977 1971 1967

Tripura 2013 2008 2003 1998 1993 1988 1983 1977 1972 1967

Uttar 2012 2007 2002 1996 1993 1991 1989 1985 1980 1977 1974 1969 1967 1962 1957
Pradesh 1951

Uttarakhan
2012 2007 2002
d

West 2016 2011 2006 20011996 1991 1987 1982 1977 1972 1971 1969 1967 1962 1957
Bengal 1951

STATISTICAL REPORTS OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS OF STATES WHICH ARE NO

LONGER IN EXISTENCE AFTER REORGANIZATION

STATES YEARS

Ajmer 1951

Bhopal 1951
Bombay 1957 1951

Coorg 1951

Hyderabad 1951

Madhya Bharat 1951

Madras 1967 1962 1957 1951

Mysore 1967 1951

Patiala & East Punjab States Union 1954 1951

Sourastra 1951

Travancore Cochin 1954 1951

Vindhya Pradesh 1951

DETAILED RESULTS OF LATEST ELECTIONS ( XLS FORMAT ) *

GENERAL ELECTION TO STATE

GENERAL ELECTION TO LOKSABHA
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

2015 (Feb)

2014 (May), 2014 (Oct), 2014 (Dec)

2013 (Oct-Dec), 2013

2012

2011
 2010 2014

2009 2009

2008 2004

2007 1999

2006 1998

2005

*Disclaimer - The data shown here have been made available on the basis of data entry done by
the counting staff at the counting centers.

EC HOLDS CONSULTATIONS WITH POLITICAL PARTIES ON MANIFESTO

GUIDELINES

The Commission on 12th August 2013 held a meeting with representatives of National
and State recognized Parties at Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi on formulation of guidelines
for election manifestos. All the six National parties attended the meeting while, 24 State
Parties participated out of 45 who were invited. The meeting was organized to seek their
suggestions/views in the wake of the recent judgment of the Honble Supreme Court which
directed the Commission to frame guidelines on Election manifesto in consultation with the
recognized political parties, to be included as part of the Model Code of Conduct.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Shri V.S.Sampath explained to the political parties
the background. He observed that some political parties had already given their written
suggestions/views on the issue while some were yet to give this to the Commission. He
requested the remaining political parties to give their views in the matter within a week.

Besides the Chief Election Commissioner , Election Commissioners Shri H.S.Brahma

 and Dr. Nasim Zaidi also heard the presentation made by the political parties.

The views of the political parties were mainly invited on broad frame work of guidelines
on election manifesto and freebies, timing of release of election manifesto by political
parties , mechanism for ensuring compliance of guidelines , practicability of implementation
of promises of freebies.

Both National and State recognized political parties presented their views before the
Commission. The Commission noted these views.

1. Election Commission of India has decided to call a meeting of all recognized National and
State political parties to hold consultations on the implementation of the Supreme Court
judgment dated 05.07.2013 in SLP(C ) No.21455 of 2008 and TC No.112 of 2011-
S.Subramaniam Balaji Vs Government of Tamil Nadu and Others in the matter of framing
guidelines on manifestos of Political Parties. The date for such a meeting will be fixed very soon.
The Commission has in the meanwhile sent a copy of the judgment to the recognized parties for
their information and firming up of the views.

2. The Commission has taken note of the Supreme Court directions that it should frame
guidelines regarding the election manifestos of political parties. It has decided to seek the views
of the political parties in the matter before taking up further action.

3. The Commission will shortly circulate a background paper in the matter among the
political parties. In preparation for this, the Commission has started making efforts to compile
available national and international views and practices on this subject.