Indian Polity

First Past the Post system (FPTP) vs Proportional Representation
 India adopted Parliamentary form of government with representative democracy in which

legislatures are elected by First Past the Post system (FPTP) type of election.
 also known as Winner-takes-all voting or Plurality voting is the most basic form of voting
system.
Under this FPTP system in India:
 Entire country divided in to constituencies now 543.
 Each constituency elects one candidate
 Candidate who gets highest number of votes declared elected than others. Even if votes share
less than 50%.
 There is no minimum threshold limit to cross. Even a margin of one vote results in victory.
 Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) in 2019 won 303 seats with 37.4 % of vote share and.
 In 2014, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) recorded the third-largest share of votes (4.2%) across
the country, but didn’t win a single seat.
02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 52
Positives of having FPTP
 It is praised for simplicity and easy to understand.
 The system is uncomplicated and produces a speedy outcome
 It retains link between the Member of Parliament (MP) and voter.
 Ensures accountability of representative to the people of the constituency.
 It allows voters to choose between persons rather than just between parties or balances both party
and candidate. So, voter asses performance of individual candidate and party.
 It provides for local control over the party’s choice of candidate, and parties must take some
account of the constituency’s wishes when selecting a candidate
 Gives chance to popular candidate to get elected even without party backing. – Independent
Candidate

Positives of having FPTP
 Cost effective.
 Ensures stable government in such a diverse country.
 By elections can be conducted easily.
Negatives aspects of FPTP

 Representatives can get elected with small amounts of public support, as the size of the winning
margin is irrelevant: what matters is only that they get more votes than other candidates.
 It does not secure due representation to minorities (small groups).
 It leaves a large number of wasted votes which do not go towards the election of any candidate.

Proportional Representation
 Seats are allotted to the political parties according to their vote share. Here voter vote for party
not for candidates.
 There are two kinds of proportional representation, namely, single transferable vote system and
list system. In India, the first kind is adopted for the election of members to the Rajya Sabha and
State Legislative Council and for electing the President and the Vice-President.
Advantages of PR system
 Faithfully translate votes cast into seats won.
 Encourage or require the formation of political parties.
 Very few votes are wasted
 It gives minority parties a better chance of winning seats in Parliament.

Disadvantages OF PR System
 Difficulty for the voters to understand the system (which is complicated) due to low
literacy scale in the country.
 Unsuitability to the parliamentary government due to the tendency of the system to
multiply political parties this proliferation of minor parties in legislatures can result
in unstable government.
 It is highly expensive.
 It has no scope of by-election.
 No contact b/w voters & representatives.
 It promotes group interests
FPTP PR
The country is divided into small geographical Large geographical areas are demarcated as
units called constituencies or district. constituencies. The entire country may be a single
constituency
More than one representative may be
Every constituency elects one representative elected from one constituency
Voter votes for a candidate Voter votes for the party

A party may get more seats than votes in the Every party gets seats in the legislature in proportion
legislature to the percentage of votes that it gets
Candidate who wins the election may not get of Candidate who wins the elections gets majority
majority (50%+1) votes votes.
Examples: U.K., India Examples: Israel, Netherlands
संसदे या सभागह
ृ ांचा कालावधी (Tenure)
रा यसभा लोकसभा
• संसदे चे थायी सभागहृ • थायी सभागहृ नाही

• १/३ सद य दर दोन वषानी िनव ृ होतात • सामा य कालावधी पाच वष असतो
• िनव ृ सद य पुनिनवडणुक साठी • लोकसभेचा कायकाल पुढील प रि थत म ये
/पुननामिनदशनासाठी िकतीही वेळा पा कमी िकंवा जा त होऊ शकतो
असतात १. पंत धानां या स यानुसार रा पती
• सद याचा पदावधी ६ वष लोकसभा िवसिजत क शकतात
• पिह या रा यसभेतील सद यांपक ै कोणते २. रा ीय आणीबाणी दर यान कायकाल
सद य दोन वषानी िकंवा चार वषानंतर िनव ृ संसदीय काय ा ारे एका वेळी एका वषाने
होतील, हे िच ् या टाकून िनि त कर यात आले वाढिवता येतो. मा , आणीबाणी संपु ात
होते. आ यानंतर सहा मिह यापे ा अिधक काळ
लोकसभेचा कालावधी वाढिवता येणार नाही.
संसद सद य वासाठी पा ता Qualification
कलम ८४ अ वये -
१. तो भारताचा नाग रक असावा He must be a citizen of India.
२. रा यसभेसाठी- ३० वष व लोकसभेसाठो २५ वष पण ू He must be not less than 30 years of age in
the case of the Rajya Sabha and not less than 25 years of age in the case of the Lok Sabha.
३. ितस या अनुसच ू ीनुसार शपथ व ित ा (िनवडणक ू आयोग) He must make and subscribe to an
oath or affirmation before the person authorised by the election commission for this purpose
लोक ितिनिध व कायदा १९५१ अ वये Qualifications in the Representation of People Act (1951).
१. कोण याही मतदारसंघातील न दिनकृत मतदार He must be registered as an elector for a
parliamentary constituency.
२. आरि त जागेसाठी या समाजातीलच असावा He must be a member of a SC/ST in any state or
UT, if he wishes to contest a seat reserved for them. However, a member of SC/STs can also
contest a seat not reserved for them.
संसद सद य वासाठी अपा ता
कलम १०२ अ वये -
१. लाभाचे पद Office of profit under the Union or state government (except that of a minister or any
other office exempted by Parliament).
२. मनोिवकलांग (स म यायालयाने तसे घोिषत केलेले असेल तर ) unsound mind and stands so
declared by a court.
३. िदवाळखोर undischarged insolvent
४. परक य दे शाचे नाग रक व वीकारले has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign state
or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance to a foreign state.
५. संसदेने केले या काय ाने disqualified under any law made by Parliament

Role of Judiciary in defining the ‘office of profit’:
The Supreme Court in Pradyut Bordoloi vs Swapan Roy (2001) outlined
the four broad principles for determining whether an office attracts the
constitutional disqualification.
 First, whether the government exercises control over appointment,
removal and performance of the functions of the office
 Second, whether the office has any remuneration attached to it
 Third, whether the body in which the office is held has government
powers (releasing money, allotment of land, granting licenses etc.).
 Fourth, whether the office enables the holder to influence government
by way of patronage.
Additional disqualifications in the Representation of People Act (1951):
१. िनवडणक ू िवषयक गु ाम ये दोषी अढळून आ यास. He must not have been found guilty
of certain election offences/corrupt practices.
२. कोण याही गु ाम ये २ वष िकंवा अिधक काळासाठी िश ा. (Automatically) He must not
have been convicted for any offence resulting in imprisonment for 2 or more years.
The Lily Thomas case (2013)
(the detention of a person under a preventive detention law is not a disqualification)
३. वेळेत िनवडणक ू िवषयक लेखे सादर न के यास He must not have failed to lodge an
account of his election expenses within the time.(45 Days)
४. सरकारी िनिवदा, कामे िकंवा सेवा याम ये िहतसंबिध अस यास He must not have any
interest in govt contracts, works or services.

Additional disqualifications in the Representation of People Act (1951):
१. सरकारची २५ % पे ा अिधक भागेदारी असले या महामंडळात संचालक िकंवा यव थापक
He must not be a director or managing agent nor hold an office of profit in a corporation in
which the govt has at least 25% share
२. ाचार िकंवा देश ोह या कारणामुळे शासक य सेवेतन ू काढून टाक यात आलेले अस यास
He must not have been dismissed from govt service for corruption/disloyalty to the State.
३. समाजातील िविभ न गटाम ये िवतु िनमाण के यामुळे दोषी He must not have been
convicted for promoting enmity between different groups or for the offence of bribery.
४. अ प ृ यता , हंडा , सती यासार या गु ाब ल सजा – चार िकंवा आचरण He must not
have been punished for preaching/practising social crimes such as untouchability, dowry
and sati.

अपा तेवाबत या ांवरील िनणय
• घटने या कलम १०३ नस
ु ार , एखादा संसद सद य,कलम १०२ अ वये, तसेच लोक ितिनधी व
काय ा वये| अपा झाला आहे िकंवा नाही ,याबाबत कोणताही उ व याम तो
रा पत कडे िनदिशत केला जाईल आिण यांचा िनणय अंितम असेल.
• मा , अशा ावर िनणय दे यापवू , रा पती िनवडणक
ू आयोगाचे मत घेतील आिण अशा
मतानुसारच कृतीकरतील.
 The president’s decision is final with respect to any of the disqualifications. However, he
should obtain the opinion of the election commission and act accordingly.

Does furnishing wrong information leads to disqualification?
 Section 33 of the RPA, mandates all candidates contesting national/state assembly elections
to furnish an affidavit comprising basic information such as their assets, liabilities,
educational qualifications and criminal antecedents (if any). सव उमेदवारांना यांची
मालम ा, दा य व, शै णक पा ता आ ण गु हे गार पा वभूमी (अस यास) यांसार या
मूलभूत मा हतीचा समावेश असलेले त ाप सादर करणे बंधनकारक आहे .
 Section 125A of the RPA makes filing false information in the affidavit a penal offence and
prescribes a penalty of maximum six months or fine or both. However, it does not result into
disqualification of candidate. त ाप ात खोट मा हती दाखल करणे हा गु हा आहे
आ ण यासाठ जा तीत जा त सहा म ह याची सजा कंवा दं ड कंवा दो ह श ा
द या जाऊ शकतात. मा , यामळ
ु े उमेदवाराला अपा ठरवले जात नाह .
.
SC in case Public Interest Foundation v. Union of India 2018:
Each contesting candidate shall fill up the form as provided by the Election Commission and the
form must contain:
• Criminal cases pending against the candidate.
• Inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her.
• The concerned political party shall be obligated to put up on its website
• The candidate as well as the concerned political party shall issue a declaration at least thrice
in the widely circulated newspapers in the locality about the cases of the candidate and also give
wide publicity in the electronic media.
Can a convicted person vote in election ?
 The Representation of the People Act, 1951, Section 62(5) states that "No person shall vote
at any election if he is confined in a prison , whether under a sentence of imprisonment or
transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police तु ं गात कंवा
पोल सां या कायदे शीर ता यात अस यास मतदान करता येणार नाह .
 As per Section 62(5) if the Representation Act, those being held under preventive detention
( तबंधा मक नजर कैदे त) can participate in elections and cast their vote via postal ballots.
In 2014 Election Commission confirmed that detainees had the right to vote, but not under-trials
and convicts.
प ांतरा या (Defection) कारणाव न अपा ता
Defection in politics means moving of a person from one party to another party for some personal
benefit. It means changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected to a
different party.
Aaya Ram Gaya Ram was a phrase that became popular in Indian politics after a Haryana MLA
Gaya Lal changed his party thrice within the same day in 1967.
In a book published in 1974, Subhash Kashyap recalled that in the 1967-71 four-year period, 142
defections took place in Parliament, and as many as 1969 defections took place in state assemblies
across the country, causing the downfall of 32 state governments. He further observed that 212 of
these defectors had been subsequently rewarded with ministerial positions
दहा या अनुसच
ू ीम ये (५२ वी घटना दु ती १९८५)
एखादा संसद सद य प ांतरा या कारणाव न अपा ठ शकतो-
• जर तो या राजक य प ा या ितिकटावर िनवडून आला आहे या प ाचे सद य व याने वे छे ने
सोडून िद यास If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political party.
• जर याने या या प ाने िकंवा प ाने ािधकृत केले या य ने िदले या िनदशािव
सभागहृ ात मतदान के यास िकंवा मतदानास गैरहजर रािह यास, आिण प ाने/ ािधका याने
ू १५ िदवसां या आतमाफ न के यास If he votes or abstains from
यास मतदाना या तारखेपासन
voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party without obtaining
prior permission of such party and such act has not been condoned by the party within 15 days

प ांतरा या (Defection) कारणाव न अपा ता
दहा या अनुसच
ू ीम ये (५२ वी घटना दु ती १९८५)
एखादा संसद सद य प ांतरा या कारणाव न अपा ठ शकतो-
• जर एखा ा अप हणन
ू िनवडून आले या सद याने िनवडणुक नंतर "एखा ा राजक य प ात
वेश के यास An independent member of a House joins any political party after such
election.
• जर एखा ा नामिनदिशत सद याने आपले पद हण के या या तारखेपासन
ू सहा मिहने
संप यानंतर एखा ा राजक य प ात वेश के यास. A nominated member of a House joins
any political party after the expiry of six months from the date on which he takes his seat in
the House. This means that he may join any political party within six months of taking his seat
in the House without inviting this disqualification
Deciding Authority
Any question regarding disqualification arising out of defection is to be decided by the presiding
officer of the House.
Originally, the act provided that the decision of the presiding officer is final and cannot be
questioned in any court. However, in Kihoto Hollohan case (1993), the Supreme Court declared
this provision as unconstitutional
However, it held that there may not be any judicial intervention until the Presiding Officer gives his
order.
१० या अनस
ु च
ू ी अंतगत प ांतरा या कारणाव न अपा तेबाबतचा िनणय रा यसभे या बाबतीत
सभापतीमाफत, तर लोकसभे या बाबतीत अ य ांमाफत िदला जातो.
१९९३ मधील सव च यायालया या िनणयानुसार, सभापती अ य ा या या बाबत या िनणय याियक

पुनिवलोकन त व लागू आहे . (Kihito Holohan Case 1993)
अपवाद – Exceptions
 िवलीनीकरण (Merger)– २/३ सद य आप या प ामधन
ू बाहे र पडून दुस या प ात िवलीन
 पीठासीन आिधकारी (Presiding officer) – आप या प ाचे सद य व याने वे छे ने सोडून
िद यास,
Note – ९१ वी घ. दू. बदल- फुटीस (Split) असलेले सरं ण काढून टाकले.

Rules and Procedure under Anti Defection Law 1985
 The presiding officer of a House is empowered to make rules to give effect to the provisions of
the Tenth Schedule. All such rules must be placed before the House for 30 days.
 According to the rules made so, the presiding officer can take up a defection case only when he
receives a complaint from a member of the House.
 Before taking the final decision, he must give the member (against whom the complaint has been
made) a chance to submit his explanation.
 He may also refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges for inquiry. Hence, defection has
non-immediate and automatic effect.
Whether the right to freedom of speech and expression is curtailed by the Tenth Schedule?
• According to the SC (Kihota Hollohon vs. Zachilhu) the provisions do not subvert the democratic
rights of elected members in Parliament and state legislatures.
• It does not violate their conscience.
• The provisions do not violate any right or freedom under Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution.

Whether only resignation constitutes voluntarily giving up membership of a political party?
• According to SC (Ravi S Naik v. Union of India) the words “voluntarily giving up membership”
have a wider meaning.
• An inference can also be drawn from the conduct of the member that he has voluntarily given up
the membership of his party.
Whether a member can be said to voluntarily give up his membership of a party if he joins
another party after being expelled by his old political party?
• Once a member is expelled, he is treated as an ‘unattached’ member in the house.
• However, he continues to be a member of the old party as per the Tenth Schedule.
• So if he joins a new party after being expelled, he can be said to have voluntarily given up
membership
02-11-2021
of his old party. Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 98
Is there a time limit within which the Presiding Officer has to decide?
The law does not specify a time-period for the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea.
But in Jan 2020, Supreme Court (Keisham Meghachandra Singh vs. the Hon’ble Speaker Manipur
Legislative Assembly & Ors.) directed that till the Independent Tribunal is established for deciding
the cases under Anti-defection Law, Presiding Officer should decide the matter in 3 months.
 The court said the Speakers should decide Tenth Schedule disqualifications within a “reasonable
period”. What was ‘reasonable’ would depend on the facts of each case.
 Unless there were “exceptional circumstances”, disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule
should be decided by Speakers within three months.
 The court noted that this period was ‘reasonable’, as the ordinary life of the Lok Sabha or the
Legislative Assemblies was merely five years.
 The court also recommended the Parliament to consider taking a relook at the powers of the
Speakers, citing instances of partisanship.The court also suggested independent tribunals to decide
on 02-11-2021
disqualifications. Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 99
United Kingdom - An MP who defies a three-line whip (meaning a written notice which has been
underlined three times to mark its urgency) could be expelled from the party but retains their seat,
unlike in India where they lose both.
Australia - The punishment for defying the whip is such things as being denied some party
resources.
United States - Members cannot be expelled from political parties and therefore the question of
such punishment does not arise.

Recommendations of various bodies on Anti-defection law
Dinesh Goswami Committee on electoral reforms (1990)
Disqualification should be limited to cases where
• a member voluntarily gives up the membership of his political party,
• a member abstains from voting, or votes contrary to the party whip in a motion of vote of
confidence or motion of no-confidence.
 The issue of disqualification should be decided by the President/ Governor on the advice of the
Election Commission.
Halim Committee on anti-defection law (1998)

The words ‘voluntarily giving up membership of a political party’ be comprehensively defined.
Restrictions like prohibition on joining another party or holding offices in the government be
imposed on expelled members.
The term political party should be defined clearly.
Law Commission (170th Report, 1999)
 Provisions which exempt splits and mergers from disqualification to be deleted.
 Pre-poll electoral fronts should be treated as political parties under anti-defection law.
 Political parties should limit issuance of whips to instances only when the government is in
danger.
Election Commission
Decisions under the Tenth Schedule should be made by the President/ Governor on the binding
advice of the Election Commission.
Constitution Review Commission (2002)

 Defectors should be barred from holding public office or any remunerative political post for
the duration of the remaining term.
 The vote cast by a defector to topple a government should be treated as invalid.

Indian Polity

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Indian Polity

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First Past the Post system (FPTP) vs Proportional Representation

 India adopted Parliamentary form of government with representative democracy in which

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 56

Negatives aspects of FPTP

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 58

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 60

Voter votes for a candidate Voter votes for the party

• संसदे चे थायी सभागहृ • थायी सभागहृ नाही

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 73

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 76

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 78

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 79

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 90

१९९३ मधील सव च यायालया या िनणयानुसार, सभापती अ य ा या या बाबत या िनणय याियक

Note – ९१ वी घ. दू. बदल- फुटीस (Split) असलेले सरं ण काढून टाकले.

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 93

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 96

02-11-2021 Dr Chaitanya Kagde (SPACE Academy) 100

Halim Committee on anti-defection law (1998)

Constitution Review Commission (2002)

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