Electoral Politics

Republic of India
A federal republic with a parliamentary
system of government
capital: New Delhi

A federal system
28 states and 7 centrally administered
Union Territories
2 states are partially claimed by Pakistan and
China

Federal system
Relatively centralized
federal government controls the most
essential government functions
defense
foreign policy
taxation
public expenditures
economic (industrial) planning

The time is after midnight. An expectant crowd sitting for the past five hours
in chowk of the town is waiting for its leader for its leader to come. The
organizers assure and reassure the crowd that he would be here any
moment. Whenever passing vehicle comes that way. It arouses hopes that
he has come.
The leader is Mr. Devilal , chief of the Haryana sangharsh samittee, who
was to address a meeting in Karnal on Thusrsday night. The 76 years old
leader, is a very busy man these days. His day starts at 8 AM, and ends
after 11PM..he had already addressed 9 election meetings since
morning..
Mr.Devi Lal has no new philosophy or slogans to give to people of Haryana
as he had been constantly addressing public meetings for the past 23
months & preparing for this election.
Devi lals approach to his audience is direct. He does not mince words in
telling his audience that they should response their in the Lok dal and he
would build for them a new Haryana. His slogan Bhrastachar band aur
pani prabandh. (End to corruption for water is old as the agiation
launched by his sangharsh samitee.

On the basis of the above narrative, give examples to prove or refuse the
following assertion :
i.

The party that ruled before the elections and the one that formed
government after the elections was the same. Name the party.

ii.

Devi Lal was very popular among the people at that time.

iii.

Lok dal did not make any promises to the people.

iv.

devilal fulfilled his promises to waive off farmer loans on becoming chief
minister.

v.

Devi lal had not given any manifesto to the people. What are the other
means by which people could know about their priorities.

vi.

What are the different methods used by political parties during the
election campaign to seek vote.

Topic For Disscusion

Is Elections Democratic in India??

Current composition

43 parties in the 13th Lok Sabha (1999)

39 parties in the 14th Lok Sabha (2004)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
184 138
Indian National Congress (INC) 109 145
Communist Party of India (M)
34 43
other political parties
218 217
total
545 543

1.

Releasing election manifesto

2.

counting of votes

3.

Making of voters list

4.

Election campaign

5.

Declaration of election results

6.

Casting of Votes

7.

Ordering of re-poll

8.

Announcing election schedule

9.

Filing Nomination

Indian National Congress

Indias oldest political party
since 1885

Indias premier political party

until 1990s

in 1960s many regional parties started

challenging INCs monopoly on power

Indian National Congress

Indira Gandhi
created a top-down structure
party leaders appoint party officials
some limited party elections

left-of-center, pro-poor political platform

Indian National Congress

INC moved toward the ideological center
Beginning in 1984

INC today tilts right-of-center

economic efficiency
business interests
limited government spending

Indian National Congress

INC has always attracted support from
diverse social groups
in the 1990s INC has lost some of its
traditional constituencies among the poor
and Muslims

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

The major political party in India today
right-leaning, Hindu-nationalist party
first major party to mobilize explicitly on the
basis of religious identity

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

better organized than INC
disciplined party members
carefully selected party cadres
clear and respected authority line within the
party

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Traditional supporters
urban, lower-middle-class groups

base of support widened since mid-1980s

Hindu nationalism
north-central India
decline of Indian National Congress
Muslims as convenient scapegoat for
frustration

BJPs rapid rise to power

electoral success from 1989 to 1999
difficulty in forming alliance with other parties

break with past traditions

relatively moderate, centrist position

BJP formed governing coalition in 1998

collapsed in 1999

BJP formed a new coalition in 1999

more broadly based than previous coalition

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

economic liberalization and stability
privilege the interests of the Hindu majority

Federal system
state governments formally control
agriculture
education
law and order within states
dependent on central government for funds

Federal system
Balance of power between central and
state governments
varies by time and place
state power was constrained
during the rule of Nehru and Indira Gandhi

state governments have more room to

maneuver
when central government is weak
since 1998

Federal system
considerable center-state conflict when
ruling political party in a state is different
from national ruling party

Parallel state structure

Formal political structure of the states
parallels that of the national government
national
state
President
Governor
Prime Minister
Chief Minister
Parliament
Assembly
Supreme Court High Court

The legislature
Parliamentary system of government
the executive authority is responsible to the
Parliament

The legislature
bicameral Parliament
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
Lok Sabha (House of the People)

Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

The Upper House

Upper House
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
not more than 250 members
12 are nominated by the President of India
the rest are indirectly elected
by state Legislative Assemblies

The Council of States can not be dissolved

members have terms of 6 years
1/3 members retire at end of every 2nd year

Lok Sabha
House of the
People

Lower House
Lok Sabha (House of the People)
545 members
2 are appointed by the President of India
the rest are directly elected from singlemember districts

5-year terms unless dissolved

Lok Sabha elects its presiding officer
the Speaker

Lok Sabha
Elections held at least every 5 years
Prime Minister may call elections earlier
543 single-member districts of roughly
equal population
party nomination
1st-past-the-post
winner-take-all

womens share

Elections to Lok Sabha

Vote share of 3 major political parties

Prime Minister
Leader of the majority party leader in Lok
Sabha becomes the prime minister
prime minister nominates a cabinet
members of Parliament in the ruling coalition
Council of Ministers

effective power is concentrated in the

office of the prime minister
where most of the important policies originate

Prime Ministers of India

38 years in the Nehru-Gandhi family
more and more rapid turnover

The President of India

Head of the State
Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces
elected by an electoral college
national Parliament
state legislature

5-year terms
can be reelected

The President of India

Ceremonial office
symbolize national unity
supposedly above partisan politics

mostly acts on the advice of the prime

minister
President plays a significant role when the
selection of a prime minister is complex
in 1998 President requested BJP to form govt.

The Judiciary
Fundamental contradiction in constitution
principle of parliamentary sovereignty
principle of judicial review

The Judiciary
judiciary tries to preserve the constitutions
basic structure
to ensure that legislation conforms with
the intent of the constitution
parliament tries to assert its right to amend
the constitution