Electoral Politics PDF

3 ELECTORAL POLITICS CHAPTER AT AGLANCE Why do we need elections? To choose who will make laws Who will form the government To choose the party who...

3 ELECTORAL POLITICS CHAPTER AT AGLANCE Why do we need elections? To choose who will make laws Who will form the government To choose the party who will qujde for the country and take major decisions? the government and law-makina What makes an election Democratic? Everyone should have Parties and Candidates one vote and each vote should be free to contest Elections should be free Candidates preferred by Elecion should be held and fair. the people should be should have one value elections. at regular intervals. elected. Is it good to have Political Competition? Electoral Competition Merits Demerits Political leaders Provides Important Forces Creates - are rewarded for incentives Issues parties and Sense of Allegations Use of Does not alow serving people to parties & are raised leaders to against dirty tricks to formulate and punished for leaders serve people disunity and each other to win sensible long not doing so facionalism term policies What is Our Election System electoral Country is divided ito Constituencies. Reserved constituencies Seats reserved for women and 0BC in local bodies  Electoral Politics 227 Election Process Election voters Nomination Election Voters' list Code of Polling and ldentity cards Papers are filled campaign is Conduct has to Declaration is made are issued by candidates Counting of result carried out. be followed of votes. Unfair Election Practices Inclusion of False names Misuse of government in the voters list facilities Excessive use of money Rigging on polling day Independent Election Commission Functions Punish the candidate who Ensure guidelines to be Government officers are under Election Conduct elections violates the code of conduct followed by govt. Commission during election duty. Popular Participation People's porticipation In India poor voters vote Common man attaches Interest of voters in election measured by Voters' turnout more than the rich. importance to elections. related activities increased Acceptance of Election Outcome Ruling parties lose elections In India half of the sitting MP's People using money/muscle Election results accepted as and MLAs lose elections. power often lose elections People's verdict at central and state level. Challenges to Free and Fair Elections Family dominance in political Elections offer little choice to Smaller parties suffer Use of Money and parties ordinary citizens Muscle power 228 7ogetker wiek Social Science-9 NCERT QUESTIONS Exercises 4. List allthe different election related: 1. Which of the following mentioned in the chapter and activtihtemigs arrange statements about the in a time sequence, beginning with the activity and ending with the last. firsof reasons for conducting elections are false? these activities are given below: Some (a) Elections enable people to judge the performance of the government. (6) People select the representative of their election manifesto, counting of votes, mak of voters' list,election campaign, declarati Releasing choice is an election. of election results, casting of votes, schedulore,dferliinngg (c) Elections enable people to evaluate the performance of the judiciary. of re-poll, announcing election. (d) People can indicate which policies they nomination. prefer. Ans. Election related activities: Ans. Statement c is false. (i) Announcing election schedule 2. Which of these is not a good reason to say (iü) Filing nominations that Indian elections are democratic? (üi) Making of voters' list (a) India has the largest number of voters (iv) Releasing election manifesto in the world. (b) India's Election Commission is very (v) Election campaign powerful. (vi) Casting of votes (c) In ndia, everyone above the age of 18 (vi) Counting of votes has a right to vote. (vii) Declaration of election results. (d) In India, the losing parties accept the (ix) Ordering of re-poll. electoral verdict. 5. Surekha is an officer in charge of ensuring free Ans. (a) India has the largest number of voters in the world. and fair elections in an assembly constituency 3. Match the following. in a state. Describe what should she focus on for each of the following stages of election: Column A Column B (a) Election campaign (a) It is necessary (i) there is a fair to keep the vot representation (b) Polling day ers list up to of all sections of Ans. (a) Election campaign: date because our society () Sulekha should ensure that the (b) Some constitu- () everyone candidates are not bribing the encies are re has equal Voters. served for SCs opportunity (ii) She should ensure that no candidate and STs so that to elect their appeals for votes in the name 0f representative caste and religion. (c) Everyone has (i) all candidates one and only must have a (i) She should make sure that no candidate uses government one vote so that fair chance of competing in resources for campaigning. elections (v) No candidate should be alloweo lakhs in (d) Party in power () Some people to spend more than 25 Sabha is not allowed may have moved a constituency for Lok to use govern away from the ment vehicles elections. area where they because yoted last (b) Pollingday: that the (i) Sulekha, should ensure (c)-(i),(d)-(i) voting takes place ina fair way. Ans: (a)-iv), (b)-(i),  Electoral Politics 231 How canwe ensure that elections are held in 29. Seats reservation was later extended to other a democratic manner? Give two conditions. weaker sections at the district and local level. ia) Everyone should be able to choose. What are they called? Evervone should have one vote and every Ans. Other Backward Classes. vote should have cqual value. (b) Elections must be held regularly and the 30>Wt is the principle of Universal Adult voters should have something to choose Franchise? from ie. enough parties and candidates. Ans. It meansthat everyone should have one vote 1. Elections are all about 'political competition'. andcach vote should have cqual value. All Give twO reasons. the citizens of 18 years and above have the right to vote. Ans. (a) There is competition among political parties. 31. What is the Photo Identity Card System? (b) At thc constitucncy level there is Ans Every voter is isued aphoto ldentity Card competition among several candidates. by the Election Commission. The voters are 22. When does the term of all the elected required tocarry this card when they go out to representatives come to an end? vote, so that no one can vote for someone else. Ans. After ive years. 32. Anyone who can be a voter can also become 23"What is a constituency? a candidate in elections, but there is one Ans The country is divided into different areas difference. What is it? for the purpose of elections. These areas are Ans. In order to be a candidate in election the called electoral constitutencies. minimum age is 25 years, while it is only 18 24. Into how many constituencies is the country years for being a voter. divided for Lok Sabha elections? 33." What is a party ticket? Ans. 543 constituencies. Members of Parliament. Ans. Political parties nominate their candidates (MPs). nomination is also called the party ticket. 25. What are the members of State Assemblies 34. How does a person file his/her nomination called? papers? Ans. Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAS). Ans. Everyperson who wishes to contest elections 26 How are constituencies divided at the local has to fill a nomination form and give some level? money as "security deposit". This is how Ans. In Panchayat and municipal elections each nomination papers are filed. village or town is divided into several 'wards' that are like constituencies. Each ward elects 35. What are the legal declarations made by every party candidate? one member of the village or the urban local Ans. Details of assets and liabilities of the candidate body. and his or her family and educational 27. How has the constitution ensured that qualifications of the candidate. the weaker sections of society also get representation in the Parliament and state 36. Why has personal information of a candidate assemblies? tobe made public? Ans. This is ensured by having a special system Ans. The personal information of a candidate needs of reserved constituencies for the weaker to be made public as it provides an opportunity sections, for those who belong to scheduled tothevoters to make their decisions on the basis castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST). of the information provided by the candidates. Z8.p HoW many seats are reserved for women in 37.7What is the main purpose of election? local bodies? Ans. "It is to give the people a chance to choose Ans. One third of the total seatsare reserved for the representatives, the government and the Women in the local bodies. policies they prefer.  232 gothen avSocial Science 9 J8. Why are Mention one function of the Ans. The main election campaigns needed? purpose otf clections is to give people 45. Commission? Ans. The Election Commission implements the Ellection chance to choose their representatives, code of conduct and punishes those he gOvernment and the policies they preter: Therefore it is necessary to have a free or parties that violates it. candidates participation in and open discussion about which is better 46. How is people's election gOvernnment or what is a g00d policy. 1t is measured? in election is Ans. People's participation figures usualy possible during clection campaigning. voter turnout measured by 39, What is the time period of campaigning for which indicate the percentage of eligible voters who elections? ns. In our countrysuch campaigns take place for actually cast their vote. a two-week period between the announcement 47. Why do common people in India attach a. elections? of the final list of candidates and the date of of importance to polling. Ans. They feel that they can bring pressure 40, How do the candidates attract the public on political parties to adopt policies and programmes favourable to them, during election? Ans. Political leaders address election meetings 48. Who vote in larger proportion in India? and the and politicalparties mobilise their supporters. Ans. In India, the poor, the illiterate underprivileged vote in larger proportion as Campaigning is also done through newspapers and television. Nowadays, the campaigning compared to the rich and the privileged sections. is also done through social media. Political parties try to focus public attention on some 49, Are elections in India free and fair? big issues. Ans.. Yes, elections in India are free and fair because 41. Mention any two slogans given by different these are conducted by an independent parties in various elections. Election Commission and all parties accept Ans. (a) Garibi Hatao (Remove poverty), slogan of the outcome of the elections. Usually, the the Congress party led by Indira Gandhi party that loses the election does not accept in the 1971 elections. the outcome of rigged election. (b) Save Democracy was the slogan given 50. Give any one challenge of Indian Elections. by Janata Party under the leadership of Ans. Some families tend to dominate political Jayaprakash Narayan in 1977 Lok Sabha parties, tickets are distributed to members elections. of these families. 42. Where is polling booth' located on election 51. What is meant by booth capturing? day? name Ans. Supporters or hired muscleman of party or Ans. On the election day every person,whose candidate gain physical control of a polling is on the voters list, can go to the nearby booth and cast false votes by threatening Polling Booth," situated usually in a local everyone or by preventing genuine voters sçhool or agovernment office. from reaching the poling booth. What is an electronic voting machine? (EVM). names of the 52. Who can be denied the right to vote? Ans. It is a machine that shows the Ans. Criminals and persons with unsound mind candidates and the party symbol. This machine is used to record the votes. can be denied the right to vote. the head of the Election Commission 53. What slogan was given by Janata Party under 44. Who is (EC)? the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan is TheChief Election Commissioner (CEC) 1977 Lok Sabha election? ins. Commission. Ans. Save Democracy. the head of the Election  Electoral Politics 233 u Who used the slogan Protect the of the Telugus' in Andhra Self-Respect Pradesh (c) They can choose the party whose policies elections in 1983? Assembly will guide the government and law Ans. N.I Rama Rao, the Leader of the Telugu making. Desam Party. 60. Enumerate the demerits of an electoral What was the slogan of the Left Front in the competition? West Bengal Assembly elections held in 1977? Ans. The demerits of an electoralcompetition are: Ans. Landtothe Tiller. (a) It creates disunity and factionalism in SA Whatis the meaning of free and fair every locality. elections? (b) Different political parties and leaders |CBSE 2016] often level allegations against one sns. It means people participate in the electoral another. Parties and candidates often process and give votes according to their choices. The parties are free to contest use dirty tricks to win elections. (c) It is often said that the pressure to win elections and candidates preferred by the electoral fights does not allow sensible people are elected. long term policies to be formulated. Some