Elections, Political Parties and Pressure Groups
What the exam tests
This domain tests the Election Commission, the first-past-the-post system, party recognition and the distinction between political parties and pressure groups.
Core rules and concepts
- Election Commission (Article 324): superintendence, direction and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the President and the Vice-President; not local bodies.
- FPTP: the candidate with the highest votes wins, even without a majority; simple and stable but disproportional.
- Political party: seeks to capture power, has a programme and contests elections. Registration is under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951; national and state party status is based on vote share and seats.
- Pressure groups: seek to influence policy, not to govern; methods include lobbying, strikes, demonstrations and media campaigns.
Worked example
'A candidate wins 35 per cent of the votes in a three-cornered contest.' Reason: under FPTP the highest poll is enough; the winner represents a plurality, not a majority. This illustrates the system's advantage (a clear winner) and defect (many votes wasted, minority representation).
Traps
Do not say the Election Commission conducts panchayat elections; State Election Commissions do. Do not equate a pressure group with a political party. Do not say a national party needs a majority of seats. Do not confuse disqualification under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection) with election disqualification.