Indian Elections and Electoral Reforms

Elections in India

Indian Election Commission

Established in 1950, the Indian Election Commission is responsible for conducting all elections across the country, supervised by the Constitution of India. The Commission was founded following the suggestion of the Cabinet Mission Plan, which proposed a provincial government structure for British India. The Commission provides guidance to the Chief Electoral Officers of each state.

Indian Voting System

The voting system in India is based on a First Past the Post (FPTP) method, where voters cast their votes for a single candidate representing a political party. The Election Commission introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to enhance transparency and credibility in elections. In recent years, calls have grown louder for a switch from FPTP to a proportional representation system.

Proposed Electoral Reforms

Some proposed electoral reforms include:

• Reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18 years through the 61st Amendment Act
• Deputation to the Election Commission for personnel involved in preparing, revising, or correcting electoral rolls
• Increase in the number of proposers required for nomination papers to prevent frivolous candidates
• Hiking security deposits to bar non-serious candidates from contesting elections

History of Indian Elections

The first three general elections in India were considered free and fair. However, concerns about corruption, criminalization of politics, misuse of government machinery, and other issues began to surface after the fourth general election in 1967. Since then, various committees and commissions have been established to address these challenges and suggest electoral reforms.

Major Political Parties in India

India has a multi-party system with several significant parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and others. These parties compete in electoral politics and form coalitions at the center and in states.

Electoral Reforms in India

Efforts to reform the electoral process in India have been ongoing since the 1970s, with various parliamentary committees, law commissions, and even foreign studies proposing changes to improve the democratic process. Some notable milestones include:

• Lowering the voting age to 18 years
• Regulating donations to political parties and financing of political parties by the state
• Attempts to combat corruption and black money evasion

However, there are still many unaddressed areas that require attention, such as the impact of money power, muscle power, communalism, casteism, lack of moral values in politics, and other forms of electoral malpractices.