Elections in India

India has a parliamentary system as defined by its constitution, with power distributed between the central government and the states. India’s democracy is the largest democracy in the world.

The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of the country and supreme commander-in-chief for all defense forces in India. However, it is the Prime Minister of India, who is the leader of the party or political alliance having a majority in the national elections to the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister is the leader of the executive branch of the Government of India. The Prime Minister is the chief adviser to the President of India and the head of the Union Council of Ministers.

India is regionally divided into States (and Union Territories) and each State has a Governor who is the state’s head, but the executive authority rests with the Chief Minister who is the leader of the party or political alliance that has won a majority in the regional elections otherwise known as State Assembly Elections that exercises executive powers in that State. The respective State’s Chief Minister has executive powers within the State and works jointly with the Prime Minister of India or their ministers on matters that require both State and Central attention. Some Union Territories also elect an Assembly and have a territorial government and other (mainly smaller) Union Territories are governed by a person appointed by the President of India.

The President of India monitors the rule of law through their appointed governors in each State and on their recommendation can take over the executive powers from the Chief Minister of the State, temporarily when the elected representatives of the State government have failed to create a peaceful environment and has deteriorated into chaos. The President of India dissolves the existing State government if necessary, and a new election is conducted.

Elections

The Election Commission is the federal body of India which is enacted under the provisions of the Constitution, responsible for monitoring and administering all the electoral processes of India. This body is responsible for ensuring elections are free and fair, without any bias.

Election ensures the conduct of members pre-elections, during elections, and post-elections are as per the statutory legislation.

All election-related disputes are handled by the Election Commission. The Supreme Court of India has held that where the enacted laws are silent or make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of elections, the Election Commission has the residuary powers under the Constitution to act as appropriate.The first election Commissioner was Sukumar Sen.

Types of elections

Elections in the Republic of India include elections for

• President of India,
• Vice President of India,
• Members of the Parliament in Rajya Sabha (Upper house) and Lok Sabha (Lower house),
• Members of State Legislative Councils,
• Members of State Legislative Assemblies (includes legislative assemblies of three union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Puducherry)
• Members of local governance bodies (Municipal bodies and Panchayats),
• By-election is held when a seat-holder of a particular constituent dies, resigns, or is disqualified.

Parliamentary general elections (Lok Sabha)

Members of Lok Sabha (House of the People) or the lower house of India’s Parliament are elected by being voted upon by all adult citizens of India, who crossed 18 years from a set of candidates who stand in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the Lok Sabha elections are called ‘Member of Parliament’ and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the President on the advice of the council of ministers. The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi, on matters relating to the creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens of India. Elections take place once in 5 years to elect 543 members for the Lok Sabha (Lower house).

General election results (Lok Sabha)

History of Lok Sabha elections

State Assembly elections

Members of State Legislative Assembly, are elected directly by voting, from a set of candidates who stands in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the State Legislative Assemblies elections are called ‘Member of Legislative Assembly’ (MLA) and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the Governor. The house meets in the respective state, on matters relating to the creation of new laws, removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens living in that state.

The total strength of each assembly depends on each State, mostly based on size and population. Similar to the Lok Sabha elections, the leader of the majority party/alliance takes oath as Chief Minister of the State.

The Election Commission conducts the elections and provides voluntary facility to 80 years plus aged electors to vote through ballot papers at their homes depending upon polling booth accessibility. Elections are taken up enthusiastically by major portion of the population who turn out in high numbers. For example, An 83-year-old woman, Dolma, cast her vote at Chasak Bhatori polling station in Pangi area of Chamba district after covering 14 kilometers walking on a snowy road during 2022 assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Legislative Assembly Elections hide

State/UT	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
AP	AS 1955 1957	1962 1967	1972 1978	1983 1985 1989	1994 1999	2004 2009	2014 2019	2024
AR	–	–	1978	1980 1984	1990 1995 1999	2004 2009	2014 2019	2024
AS	1952 1957	1962 1967	1972 1978	1983 1985	1991 1996	2001 2006	2011 2016	2021
BR	1952 1957	1962 1967 1969	1972 1977	1980 1985	1990 1995	2000 2005 (Feb) 2005 (Oct)	2010 2015	20202025
CG	State didn’t exist. Was part of MP. (Established in 2000)					2003 2008	2013 2018	2023
DL	1952	–	–	–	1993 1998	2003 2008	2013 2015	20202025
GA	–	1963 1967	1972 1977	1980 1984 1989	1994 1999	2002 2007	2012 2017	2022
GJ	–	1962 1967	1972 1975	1980 1985	1990 1995 1998	2002 2007	2012 2017	2022
HR	–	1967 1968	1972 1977	1982 1987	1991 1996	2000 2005 2009	2014 2019	2024
HP	1952	1967	1972 1977	1985	1990 1993 1998	2003 2007	2012 2017	2022
JK	1951 1957	1962 1967	1972 1977	1983 1987	1996	2002 2008	2014	2024
JH	State didn’t exist. Was part of Bihar. (Established in 2000)					2005 2009	2014 2019	2024
KA	Mysore 1952 Mysore 1957	Mysore 1962 Mysore 1967	Mysore 1972 1978	1983 1985 1989	1994 1999	2004 2008	2013 2018	2023
KL	1952 Thiru-Kochi 1954 Thiru-Kochi 1957	1960 1965 1967	1970 1977	1980 1982 1987	1991 1996	2001 2006	2011 2016	2021
MP	Bhopal 1952 MB 1952 MP 1952 VP 1952 1957	1967	1972 1977	1980 1985	1990 1993 1998	2003 2008	2013 2018	2023
MH	–	1962 1967	1972 1978	1980 1985	1990 1995 1999	2004 2009	2014 2019	2024
MN	–	1967	1972 1974	1980 1984	1990 1995	2000 2002 2007	2012 2017	2022
ML	–	–	1972 1978	1983 1988	1993 1998	2003 2008	2013 2018	2023
MZ	–	–	1972 1978 1979	1984 1987 1989	1993 1998	2003 2008	2013 2018	2023
NL	–	1964 1969	1974 1977	1982 1987 1989	1993 1998	2003 2008	2013 2018	2023
OR	1952 1957	1961 1967	1971 1974 1977	1980 1985	1990 1995	2000 2004 2009	2014 2019	2024
PB	1952 1957	1962 1967 1969	1972 1977	1980 1985	1992 1997	2002 2007	2012 2017	2022
PY	–	1964 1969	1974 1977	1980 1985	1990 1991 1996	2001 2006	2011 2016	2021
RJ	1952 1957	1962 1967	1972 1977	1980 1985	1990 1993 1998	20032008 2013	2018	2023
SK	–	–	1979	1985 1989	1994 1999	2004 2009	20142019	2024
TN	1952 1957	1962 1967	1971 1977	1980 1984 1989	1991 1996	2001 2006	2011 2016	2021
TS	1952						2014 2018	2023
TR	–