In $2014$, a total of 8 candidates contested elections in that constituency. The total eligible voters were $17.21$ lakhs. Of these $9.98$  lakh voters had cast their votes. The candidate of the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge secured about $5.07$ lakh votes. This was $50.82$  per cent of the total votes polled. But since he had secured more votes than anyone else, he was declared elected a Member of Parliament from Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency.

Election Result of Gulbarga constituency, GENERAL ELECTION LOK SABHA, 2014
CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES POLLED	% OF VOTES
D.G. Sagar	JD(S)	15690	1.57
Mallikarjun Kharge	INC	507193	50.82
Danni Mahadev B.	BSP	11428	1.14
Revunalk Belamagi	BJP	432460	43.33
B.T Lalitha Naik	AAAP	9074	0.91
S.M. Sharma	SUCI	4943	0.50
Shankar Jadhav	BHPP	2877	0.29
Ramu	IND	4085	0.41
None of the Above	NOTA	9888	0.99

 

a)What is the percentage of voters who had actually cast their votes?

b)To win an election is it necessary for a person to secure more than half the votes polled?

 

Why are party agents present in the polling booth and the counting centre?

Identify the fair and the unfair electoral practices among the following:

a) A minister flags off a new train in his constituency a week before polling day.

b) A candidate promises that she will get a new train for her constituency if she is elected.

c) Supporters of a candidate take the voters to a temple and make them take an oath that they will vote for him.

d) The supporters of a candidate distribute blankets in slums in return for a promise for vote.

Why does the Election Commission have so much power? Is this good for democracy?

Read these headlines carefully and identify which powers are used by the Election Commission in each instance to ensure free and fair elections.

EC issues notification constituting $14$^th Lok Sabha                           

EC Shoots down HM advice on poll reforms

Photo I-Cards not mandatory in Bihar Polls

EC accepts new Haryana DGP

EC will seek power to censure political ads

EC says no immediate plan to ban exit polls

EC orders repoll in $398$ more booths

EC to keep closer eye on hidden poll costs

EC tightens norms for poll expenses

EC to visit Gujarat again, review poll arrangements

HC asks EC to bar "Criminal Netas"

The leader coming out of a press conference said: “What was the need to say that we have distributed tickets only amongst suitable and winnable family relations?”

Do you think that family politics is confined to only a few states or parties?

Titled ‘Electoral Campaigns’, this cartoon was drawn in the Latin American context. Does this apply to India and to other democracies in the world?

Is this an accurate picture of what happens to the voter before and after elections? Must this always happen in a democracy? Can you think of examples when this did not happen?

Here are some facts about the Indian elections. Comment on each of these to say whether they reflect the strength or the weakness of our electoral system:

(a) The 16th Lok Sabha has $12$ percent women members.

(b) The Election Commission often refuses to accept the government’s advice about when the election should be held.

(c) The $16$th Lok Sabha has more than $440$ members whose assets are more than Rs.$1$ crore.

(d) After losing an election, the Chief Minister said: “I respect the people’s verdict”.