The election of the President of India is a detailed process outlined in the Constitution of India, particularly in Articles 54 and 55, and supplemented by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
Eligibility and Qualifications:
- Citizenship and Age:
- The candidate must be a citizen of India.
- The minimum age for eligibility is 35 years.
- Nomination:
- Candidates must be nominated by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders. These electors must be Members of Parliament (MPs) or Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs).
Electoral College:
The President of India is elected by an Electoral College, which consists of the following:
- Elected Members of Both Houses of Parliament:
- The elected members of both the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) participate in the election.
- Elected Members of State Legislative Assemblies:
- Members of the Legislative Assemblies of States and Union Territories also take part in the election.
- Nominees of the Elected Members:
- The elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States and Union Territories nominate representatives to cast votes on their behalf.
Value of Votes:
The value of the votes is not uniform and varies based on the population of the state or union territory. The formula for calculating the value of the vote is as follows:
Value of Vote=Population of the State/Number of Elected Members of the State Legislative Assembly
Election Process:
- Nomination Process:
- Candidates must file their nominations with the Returning Officer.
- The nomination paper must be signed by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders.
- A security deposit is also required, which is forfeited if the candidate fails to secure a certain minimum percentage of votes.
- Scrutiny of Nominations:
- The Returning Officer examines the nominations to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Nominations may be rejected if they do not comply with the requirements.
- Withdrawal of Candidature:
- Candidates have the option to withdraw their nominations before a specified date.
- Election:
- The election is conducted through a secret ballot.
- Members of the Electoral College cast their votes in their respective state capitals or union territories.
- Counting of Votes:
- The counting of votes takes place in Delhi, and the results are announced by the Returning Officer.
Winning Criteria:
- The candidate who secures more than 50% of the total electoral votes is declared elected as the President of India.
- If no candidate achieves a clear majority, a system of preferential voting comes into play. The candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the second preference mentioned on the ballot. This process continues until a candidate secures more than 50% of the votes.
The President-elect takes the oath of office and assumes the responsibilities after the outgoing President’s term expires or in the event of a vacancy due to resignation or death. The election process is designed to ensure a fair and representative selection of the President by involving both the national and state levels of government.
