These Election and Representation Class 11 Political Science Notes explain the meaning of elections, systems of representation, reservation of constituencies, Election Commission and electoral reforms in India. The chapter discusses how elections are conducted in a democratic system and why free and fair elections are necessary for democracy.
These NCERT notes are useful for school exams, revision and competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, CUET and State PSCs.
The chapter explains:
The chapter also compares different electoral systems and explains why India adopted the First Past the Post system.
In large democracies, all citizens cannot directly participate in governance. Therefore, people elect representatives who govern on their behalf. Elections become the mechanism through which citizens choose these representatives.
Citizens directly participate in decision-making.
Citizens elect representatives who govern for them.
India follows indirect democracy because direct participation is difficult in a large population.
Not all elections are democratic. Some non-democratic countries also hold elections but manipulate them to maintain power.
The Constitution lays down rules regarding:
Election system refers to:
Different systems produce different results.
Meaning of FPTP: The candidate who gets more votes than all others wins, even without crossing 50% votes. Therefore it is also called the Plurality System.
This happened because of FPTP system where seat share may not match vote share.
Seats are distributed according to proportion of votes secured by parties.
If a party gets 30% votes, it gets nearly 30% seats.
Examples:
Several representatives elected from same constituency.
| FPTP | PR System |
|---|---|
| One representative per constituency | Multiple representatives possible |
| Voter votes for candidate | Voter votes for party |
| Candidate with highest votes wins | Seats proportional to votes |
| May not reflect vote share accurately | Better reflection of vote share |
| Example: India, UK | Example: Israel, Netherlands |
India uses STV system for:
Winning Quota = (Total Valid Votes ÷ (Seats + 1)) + 1
Political parties seek support from multiple social groups.
Certain communities may remain underrepresented because:
British introduced separate electorates where only members of a community voted for their representatives.
Constituent Assembly rejected this system because it divided society.
In reserved constituencies:
The Constitution reserves seats in:
Reservation based on population proportion.
Appointed by President in consultation with Election Commission.
Every adult citizen has right to vote.
All citizens can contest elections subject to:
| Election | Minimum Age |
|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | 25 years |
| Legislative Assembly | 25 years |
| Rajya Sabha | 30 years |
| President | 35 years |
Article 324 provides for Election Commission of India.
Since 1993, Election Commission functions as multi-member body.
CEC can be removed only through parliamentary process requiring special majority.
This ensures independence of Election Commission.
Reduce mismatch between votes and seats.
Ensure one-third representation for women.
Government funding of elections suggested.
Prevent criminalisation of politics.
Increase transparency and internal democracy.
Reduce divisive politics.
Laws alone cannot ensure fair elections. Democratic values and public awareness are also necessary.
Regular elections have become central to India’s democratic system.
Constitution – Why and How? Notes
Rights in the Indian Constitution Notes
Executive Notes
Legislature Notes
Judiciary Notes
Federalism Notes
Local Governments Notes
Constitution as a Living Document Notes
The Philosophy of the Constitution Notes
| Important Topic | Page Reference |
|---|---|
| Elections and Democracy | Pages 52–54 |
| FPTP System | Pages 55–57 |
| PR System | Pages 57–59 |
| STV System | Page 60 |
| Reservation of Constituencies | Pages 63–65 |
| Election Commission | Pages 67–71 |
| Electoral Reforms | Pages 72–73 |
It is an election system where candidate with highest votes wins even without majority votes.
India follows FPTP system.
PR system distributes seats according to proportion of votes secured by parties.
Article 324.
It means every adult citizen above 18 years has right to vote.