Essay on Election

Elections are held in India to elect members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabhas (State
Legislative Assemblies), Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Councils), and President and the Vice-
President of India. The Elections are also conducted for local bodies such as Panchayati Raj,
Municipal Corporations and Municipalities.

Who is Eligible to Vote?

Elections give an opportunity to every Indian citizen to participate in the process of government
formation. People who have attained the age of 18 or more are eligible to vote in these elections.
The right to vote is for everyone, irrespective of their caste, sex, religion, colour, or place of birth.

Who is Eligible to Contest Vote?

All citizens have the right to stand for election and become the representative of the people.
However, there are different minimum age requirements for contesting elections. For contesting Lok
Sabha or Assembly elections, a candidate must be at least 25 years old.

Election System of India

The Election Commission of India is responsible for superintendence, direction and control of all
elections. It conducts elections to both the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures and for the
offices of the President and Vice-President. Besides, it is also responsible for the preparation,
revision, updation and maintenance of lists of voters. It also performs many other functions related to
elections.
In India, we follow a specific method of elections. The entire country is divided into 543
constituencies. Each constituency elects one representative, and the candidate who secures the
highest number of votes in that constituency is declared elected. In the electoral race, the candidate
who is ahead of others, who crosses the winning post, first of all, is the winner. Several efforts have
been made in India to ensure a free and fair election system and process. The most important
among these is the creation of an independent Election Commission to ‘supervise and conduct’
elections. The election system in India is impartial and transparent.
Elections and the elected representative make democracy effective and trustworthy in India. The
election system has allowed the voters not only to freely choose representatives but also to change
governments peacefully both at the State and national level. The social composition of
representatives has changed gradually. Now, representatives come from many different social
sections. Elections have become part and parcel of democratic life. No one can imagine a situation
where a government would disrespect the verdict of an election. Similarly, no one can imagine that a
government would be formed without holding elections. In fact, the regularity and periodicity of
elections have earned fame for India as a great democratic experiment.