NCERT Textbook - Electoral Politics Class 9 Notes | EduRev

 Page 1


56 DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
OVERVIEW
In Chapter Two we have seen that in a democracy it is neither possible nor
necessary for people to govern directly. The most common form of
democracy in our times is for the people to govern through their
representatives. In this chapter we will look at how these representatives
are elected. We begin by understanding why elections are necessary and
useful in a democracy. We try to understand how electoral competition
among parties serves the people. We then go on to ask what makes an
election democratic. The basic idea here is to distinguish democratic
elections from non-democratic elections.
The rest of the chapter tries to assess elections in India in the light of
this yardstick. We take a look at each stage of elections, from the drawing
of boundaries of different constituencies to the declaration of results. At
each stage we ask what should happen and what does happen in elections.
Towards the end of the chapter, we turn to an assessment of whether
elections in India are free and fair. Here we also examine the role of the
Election Commission in ensuring free and fair elections.
CHAPTER 4
Electoral
Politics
2015-16(19/01/2015)
Page 2


56 DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
OVERVIEW
In Chapter Two we have seen that in a democracy it is neither possible nor
necessary for people to govern directly. The most common form of
democracy in our times is for the people to govern through their
representatives. In this chapter we will look at how these representatives
are elected. We begin by understanding why elections are necessary and
useful in a democracy. We try to understand how electoral competition
among parties serves the people. We then go on to ask what makes an
election democratic. The basic idea here is to distinguish democratic
elections from non-democratic elections.
The rest of the chapter tries to assess elections in India in the light of
this yardstick. We take a look at each stage of elections, from the drawing
of boundaries of different constituencies to the declaration of results. At
each stage we ask what should happen and what does happen in elections.
Towards the end of the chapter, we turn to an assessment of whether
elections in India are free and fair. Here we also examine the role of the
Election Commission in ensuring free and fair elections.
CHAPTER 4
Electoral
Politics
2015-16(19/01/2015)
57
4.1 WHY ELECTIONS?
government would waive the loans of
farmers and small businessmen. He
promised that this would be the first
action of his government.
The people were unhappy with the
existing government. They were also
attracted by Devi Lal’s promise. So,
when elections were held, they voted
overwhelmingly in favour of Lok Dal
and its allies. Lok Dal and its
partners won 76 out of 90 seats in
the State Assembly. Lok Dal alone
won 60 seats and thus had a clear
majority in the Assembly. The
Congress could win only 5 seats.
Once the election results were
announced, the sitting Chief
Minister resigned. The newly elected
Members of Legislative Assembly
(MLAs) of Lok Dal chose Devi Lal as
their leader. The Governor invited
Devi Lal to be the new Chief
Minister. Three days after the
election results were declared, he
became the Chief Minister. As soon
as he became the Chief Minister, his
Government issued a Government
Order waiving the outstanding loans
of small farmers, agricultural
labourers and small businessmen.
His party ruled the State for four
years. The next elections were held
in 1991. But this time his party did
not win popular support. The
Congress won the election and
formed the government.
A A A A Assembly Ele ssembly Ele ssembly Ele ssembly Ele ssembly Elec c c c ction in tion in tion in tion in tion in
H H H H Har ar ar ar ary y y y yana ana ana ana ana
Do most leaders
fulfil their election
promises?
Jagdeep and Navpreet read this story and drew the following conclusions. Can you say which of
these are right or wrong (or if the information given in the story is inadequate to call them right or
wrong):
< Elections can lead to changes in the policy of the government.
< The Governor invited Devi Lal to become the Chief Minister because he was impressed with his
speeches.
< People are unhappy with every ruling party and vote against it in the next election.
< The party that wins the election forms the government.
< This election led to a lot of economic development in Haryana.
< The Congress Chief Minister need not have resigned after his party lost elections.
CHECK
YOUR
PROGRESS
This newspaper report is about the
State assembly election in Haryana
in 1987. The State had been ruled by
a Congress party led government
since 1982. Chaudhary Devi Lal, then
an opposition leader, led a movement
called ‘Nyaya Yudh’ (Struggle for
Justice) and formed a new party, Lok
Dal. His party joined other opposition
parties to form a front against the
Congress in the elections. In the
election campaign, Devi Lal said that
if his party won the elections, his
The time is after midnight. An expectant
crowd sitting for the past five hours in a
chowk of the town is waiting for its leader
to come. The organisers assure and reas-
sure the crowd that he would be here any
moment. The crowd stands up whenever
a passing vehicle comes that way. It
arouses hopes that he has come.
The leader is Mr. Devi Lal, chief of
the Haryana Sangharsh Samiti, who was
to address a meeting in Karnal on Thurs-
day night. The 76-year-old leader, is a
very busy man these days. His day starts
at 8 a.m. and ends after 11 p.m. … he
had already addressed nine election
meetings since morning… been con-
stantly addressing public meetings for
the past 23 months and preparing for this
election.
ELECTORAL POLITICS
2015-16(19/01/2015)