Electoral Politics

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• Questions
• Summary

1. Elections are a democratic way of selecting representatives. They ensure that the representatives rule as per the wishes of the people.
2. Elections help voters to choose representatives who will make laws for them, form the government and take Major decisions.
3. The voters can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and law-making.
4. Thus election is a mechanism by which people can choose their representatives at regular intervals and change them if they wish to.

1. State assembly election in Haryana in 1987.
2. The State had been ruled by a Congress party since 1982.
3. Chaudhary Devi Lal, then an opposition leader, led a movement called ‘Nyaya Yudh’ (Struggle for Justice) and formed a new party, Lok Dal.
4. In the election campaign, Devi Lal said that if his party won the elections, his government would waive the loans of farmers and small businessmen.
5. The people were unhappy with the existing government. They were also attracted by Devi Lal’s promise.
6. When elections were held, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of Lok Dal and its allies.
7. Lok Dal and its partners won 76 out of 90 seats in the State Assembly.

Demerits:

1. It creates a sense of disunity and ‘factionalism’ in every locality.
2. Different political parties and leaders often level allegations against one another.
3. Parties and candidates often use dirty tricks to win elections.
4. Some good people who may wish to serve the country do not enter this competition. They do not like the idea of being dragged into the unhealthy competition.

Merits:

1. Our Constitution makers were aware of these problems. Yet they opted for free competition in elections as the way to select our future leaders. They did so because this system works better in the long run.
2. In a way, it tries to improve the knowledge and character of political leaders. The other and more realistic way is to set up a system where political leaders are rewarded for serving the people and punished for not doing so.
3. So if a political party is motivated only by a desire to be in power, even then it will be forced to serve the people.
4. Political competition may cause divisions and some ugliness, but it finally helps to force political parties and leaders to serve the people.

1. Everyone should be able to choose. This means that everyone should have one vote and every vote should have equal value.
2. There should be something to choose from. Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer some real choice to the voters.
3. The choice should be offered at regular intervals. Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
4. The candidate preferred by the people should get elected.
5. Elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can choose as they really wish.

1. Elections take place regularly in any democracy.
2. In an election the voters make many choices:
3. They can choose who will make laws for them.
4. They can choose who will form the government and take major decisions.
5. They can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and law- making.