|
|
|
Q 1. Which
authority conducts elections to Parliament? The same
Article 324 also vests in the Commission the powers of superintendence,
direction and Q 2. Which authority
conducts elections to Corporations, Municipalities and other Local Bodies
? The State Election
Commissions constituted under the Constitution (Seventy-third and
Seventy-fourth) Q 3. Who supervises the
election work in a State ? As per section 13A of the
Representation of the People Act 1950, read with section 20 of the
Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Chief Electoral Officer of a
State/ Union Territory is authorised to supervise the election work in the
State/Union Territory subject to the overall superintendence, direction
and control of the Election Commission Q 4. Who appoints the
Chief Electoral Officer? The Election Commission of
India nominates or designates an Officer of the Government of the
State/Union Territory as the Chief Electoral Officer in consultation with
that State Government/Union Territory Administration. Q 5. Who supervises the
election work in a District? As per section 13AA of the
Representation of the People Act 1950, subject to the superintendence,
direction and control of the Chief Electoral Officer, the District
Election Officer supervises the election work of a district. The Election Commission of
India nominates or designates an Officer of the State Government as the
District Election Officer in consultation with the State Government. The Returning Officer of a
parliamentary or assembly constituency is responsible for the conduct of
elections in the parliamentary or assembly constituency concerned as per
section 21 of the Representation of the People Act 1951. The Election Commission of
India nominates or designates an officer of the Government or a local
authority as the Returning Officer for each of the assembly and
parliamentary constituencies in consultation with the State
Government/Union Territory Administration. In addition, the Election
Commission of India also appoints one or more Assistant Returning Officers
for each of the assembly and parliamentary constituencies to assist the
Returning Officer in the performance of his functions in connection with
the conduct of elections The Electoral Registration
officer is responsible for the preparation of electoral rolls for a
parliamentary / assembly constituency. The Presiding Officer with
the assistance of polling officers conducts the poll at a polling station. Under section 26 of the
Representation of the People Act 1951, the District Election Officer
appoints the Presiding Officers and the Polling Officers. In the case of
Union Territories, such appointments are made by the Returning Officers. Under section 20B of the Representation of the People Act 1951, the Election Commission of India nominates officers of Government as Observers (General Observers and Election Expenditure Observers) for parliamentary and assembly constituencies. They perform such functions as are entrusted to them by the Commission. Earlier, the appointment of Observers was made under the plenary powers of the Commission. But with the amendments made to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 in 1996, these are now statutory appointments. They report directly to the Commission. Q 14. What is the
minimum age for becoming a candidate for Lok Sabha or Assembly election ? Article 84 (b) of
Constitution of India provides that the minimum age for becoming a
candidate for Lok Sabha election shall be 25 years. Similar provision
exists for a candidate to the Legislative Assemblies vide Article 173 (b)
of the Constitution read with Sec. 36 (2) of the R. P. Act, 1950. Q 15. If I am not
registered as a voter in any Constituency, can I contest election? For contesting an election
as a candidate a person must be registered as a voter. Sec 4 (d) of
Representation People Act, 1951 precludes a person from contesting unless
he is an elector in any parliamentary constituency. Section 5 (c) of R. P.
Act, 1951 has a similar provision for Assembly Constituencies. Q 16. Every candidate is
required to make security deposit. How much is the security deposit for
Lok Sabha election? As per Section 34 1 (a) of
R. P. Act, 1951, every candidate is required to make a security deposit of
Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) for Lok Sabha elections.
Q 17. Which candidates lose the deposit? Q
18. On the day of poll, every voter has to go to a polling station to
vote. Normally, how many voters are assigned to a polling station, under
the norms of the Election Commission? According to Para 3
of Chapter II of Handbook for Returning Officers, polling stations should
be set up in such a manner that ordinarily no voter is required to travel
more than two kms to reach his polling station. It is a corrupt practice
under section 123 (5) of the R. P. Act, 1951. This offence is punishable
under Section 133 of the same Act, with imprisonment which may extend upto
3 months and/or with fine. The provision of
Corrupt Practice under section 123 (5) as mentioned above will cover
conveyance of any elector, to or from any polling station. Q 22. Somebody offers
you some money to vote for a candidate. Can you accept such money? Acceptance of money to vote
for a candidate is a corrupt practice of bribery under Section 123 (1) of
R. P. Act, 1951. It is also an offence under section 171-B of Indian Penal
Code and is punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to one year or with fine or both. The corrupt practice of
bribery will also be attracted, if a person accepts money not to vote for
a particular candidate. Acceptance of any offer of
liquor or other intoxicants or a dinner to vote for a particular candidate
or not to vote for him is bribery. If any person induces or attempts to induce the voter to vote for any particular candidate or otherwise he will become an object of Divine displeasure, he will be guilty of the corrupt practice of exercising undue influence on a voter under sec 123 (2) of R. P. Act, 1951. It is also an offence under
section 171C of Indian Penal Code and punishable with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or
both. Any threat to a voter that
he would be excommunicated if he votes for a particular candidate or does
not vote for another particular candidate is a corrupt practice of undue
influence under Section 123 (2) of R. P. Act, 1951. It is also punishable
under sec 171 F of Indian Penal Code with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with
both. Any one telling another person that he
should vote for a particular candidate or not to vote for him because he
belongs to a particular religion, caste or creed or speaks a particular
language is a corrupt practice under section 123 (3) of R. P. Act, 1951. A candidate is not free to spend as much as
he likes on his election. The law prescribes that the total election
expenditure shall not exceed the maximum limit prescribed under Rule 90 of
the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. It would also amount to a corrupt
practice under sec 123 (6) of R. P. Act, 1951.
|
