Parliamentary Elections in India (Elections 2009)

Elections take place regularly in a democratic country like India. Elections is a decision
making process where people choose its representative to holds the formal office. This
is the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy fills offices in the
parliament. Elections are held every five years.

Selection of a candidate by parties:

Candidate selection is the process by which parties decide that who will be on ballot
papers their candidates. In India there is no proper system followed by parties but all the
parties have their own system of selecting a candidate. All parties have their own rules
and procedures in selecting a candidate. Parties are doing favoritism in selecting a
candidate for elections. All big leaders of parties only decide to whom they have to
bring on the ballot papers as a candidate for elections. There is like a circus created in
selecting a candidate.

The following points were included in the selection criteria of a candidate by political
parties:

 Political parties select first their old members as a candidate because of their
experience.
 They also checks that if the new candidate is selected than what is his image in
his area. Either he wins the elections or not.
 If the person is from a political family background then he is easily selected as a
candidate in elections.
 As we know that in congress the candidate selection is done by the Gandhi
family.

Number of political parties in a fray:

There are many political parties in election 2009 but the main fight is between the two
big political parties. i.e. Indian National Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party. Mainly 7
national political parties are in a fray.
 Parliamentary Elections in India (Elections 2009)

National Parties:

List of National Parties in India

S.No NAME OF PARTY SYMBOL RESERVED

1 INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS INC HAND
2 BHARTIYA JANATA PARTY BJP LOTUS
3 BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY BSP ELEPHANT
4 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA CPI EARS OF CORN AND SICKLE
5 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA CPIM HAMMER, SICKLE AND STAR
6 NATIONALIST CONGRESS PARTY NCP CLOCK
7 RASHTRIYA JANATA DAL RJD HURRICANE LAMP

Regional parties:

Regional parties are parties whose main holds are in one certain state and mostly they
participate within the state. Sometimes they do participate in the neighboring state if the
culture is same.
 Parliamentary Elections in India (Elections 2009)

List of Regional parties in India

State Name of Party

Andhra Pradesh Telangana Rashtra Samithi
Telugu Desam
Arunachal Arunachal Congress
Pradesh
Assam Asom Gana Parishad
Assam United Democratic Front
Bihar Janata Dal (United)
Lok Jan Shakti Party
Goa Maharashtrawadi Gomantak
Save Goa Front
Haryana Indian National Lok Dal
Jammu & Kashmir Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic party
Jharkhand Janata Dal (United)
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Karnataka Janata Dal (Secular)
Kerala Janata Dal (Secular)
Kerala Congress
Muslim League Kerala State Committee
Madhya Pradesh Samajwadi Party
Maharashtra Shiv Sena
Manipur Manipur People’s Party
National People’s Party
Meghalaya Mizo National Front
Mizoram People’s Conference
Nagaland Nagaland Peoples Front
Orissa Biju Janata Dal
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
Pondicherry All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Pattali Makkal Katchi
Punjab Shiromani Akali Dal
Sikkim Sikkim Democratic Front
Tamil Nadu All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Pattali Makkal Katchi
Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party
Uttarakhand Samajwadi Party
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
West Bengal All India Forward Bloc
All India Trinamool Congress
 Parliamentary Elections in India (Elections 2009)

Election campaigning:

The Election campaign is the period when the political parties put forward their
candidates and arguments with which they hope to persuade people to vote for their
candidates and parties. It is a way by which the candidate can reach the voter.
Candidates are finding different and technical ways for campaigning and reach in the
heart of voter. Candidates are given a week to put forward their nominations. Validly
nominated candidates can withdraw within two days after nominations have been
scrutinized. The official campaign lasts at least 2 weeks from the drawing up of the list
of nominated candidates, and officially ends 48 hours before polling closes.

Different ways of election campaigning:

 Candidates use banners, posters and music.

 Parties makes it own slogan and do election campaigning.
 Nowadays SMS facility is also used to do campaigning.
 Many candidates launch their own website to attract voters of urban area.
 Some candidates make a road show in chariots.

Factors affecting Election campaigning: