ELECTION PROCESS AND REFORMS IN INDIA

It is through elections that people in a democracy participate in public affairs and express their will.Elections are the most integral and important part of politics in a democratic system of governance. True democracy can function only when elections to the offices of power are held in a free and fair manner.The total number of seats in the Lok Sabha is 545 at present. The 28 states elect 530 members of Parliament (LS) while the remaining 13 are added from the Union territories and 2 are nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community.Electoral reforms undertaken by authorities can be broadly divided into two categories: pre-2000 and post-2000.Major issues in Indian Electoral Politics are 1) Money 2) Muscle Power 3) Criminalization and Politicization 4) Misusing Government Machinery 5) Degradation of Moral values and 6) There are other issues as well such as presence of casteism as well as communalism and attracting votes with respect to caste and religion.All these issues have been covered under 4 chapters of the book.