📘 Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 3 Electoral Politics Quick Revision Notes
🔹 Why Elections? (चुनाव क्यों?)
- Democracy में लोग direct rule नहीं कर सकते → representatives चुनते हैं।
- Elections allow people to:
✅ Laws बनाने वालों को चुनना
✅ Government बनाने वालों को चुनना
✅ Party policies तय करने वालों को चुनना - Example: Haryana (1987) – Devi Lal की Lok Dal जीती → loans माफ़ किए।
- Conclusion: Elections democracy की रीढ़ (backbone) हैं।
🔹 Political Competition (राजनीतिक प्रतिस्पर्धा)
- Demerits: गुटबाज़ी, आरोप-प्रत्यारोप, short-term policies, अच्छे लोग politics से दूर रहते हैं।
- Merits: Leaders को जनता serve करने की मजबूरी होती है → otherwise हार जाते हैं।
- Analogy: Market जैसा system – shopkeeper profit चाहता है पर customer की service करनी ही पड़ती है।
- Conclusion: Competition democracy के लिए ज़रूरी है।
🔹 Our System of Elections (हमारा चुनावी तंत्र)
- General Election: हर 5 साल में Lok Sabha & Assembly dissolve → नए चुनाव।
- By-Election: Death/resignation पर एक seat के लिए चुनाव।
- Constituencies:
- Lok Sabha → 543 MPs
- Assemblies → अलग-अलग MLAs
- Local level → Wards
- Reserved Seats: SC (84), ST (47), OBC & Women (1/3 seats – 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)।
- Voters’ List: Universal Adult Franchise (18+) → EPIC card system।
- Nomination: 25+ yrs, declaration of criminal cases, assets, education।
- Campaign: 2 weeks, slogans (Garibi Hatao, Save Democracy, Land to the Tiller)।
- Laws: No caste/religion appeal, no misuse of govt. resources, spending limit।
- Polling & Counting: EVMs, candidate with highest votes wins।
🔹 What makes Indian Elections Democratic?
- Independent Election Commission (ECI):
- Conducts & controls elections, implements Code of Conduct, order repoll, powerful & independent।
- People’s Participation:
- High turnout, poor & illiterate vote ज़्यादा proportion में।
- Acceptance of Outcome:
- Ruling parties हारती हैं, losers usually verdict मानते हैं।
- Conclusion: Elections basically free & fair हैं, लेकिन कुछ challenges मौजूद।
🔹 Challenges to Free & Fair Elections + Reforms
Challenges:
- धनबल (Money power)
- अपराधीकरण (Criminalisation)
- वंशवाद (Dynastic politics)
- Limited choice
- Malpractices (fake names, vote buying, caste/religion appeal)
Reforms:
- Transparent funding
- Ban on criminals
- Strengthen ECI
- Inner-party democracy
- State funding of elections
- Voter education (SVEEP programmes)
📌 25 जनवरी – National Voters’ Day → Pledge for free & fair voting.