The Representation of People Act, 1951 provide for the conduct of elections of the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections.
A. Provisions related to Qualifications of Members of Parliament and State Legislatures
(a) Qualification of M.P. for Rajya Sabha
(b) Qualification of M.P. for Lok Sabha
(c) Qualification of MLA for State Assembly
(b) Qualification of MLA for Legislative Council
Recent Supreme Court ruling related to the Act states that: Charge sheeted Members of Parliament and MLAs, on conviction for offences, will be immediately disqualified from holding membership of the House without being given three months’ time for appeal, as was the case before. January 2017 - An appeal for votes during elections on the basis of religion, caste, race, community or language, will amount to a ‘corrupt practice’ and calls for disqualification of the candidate. |
B. Provisions Related to Political Party
(a) Registration with the Election Commission of Associations and Bodies as Political Parties
Any association or body of individual citizens of India calling itself a political party and intending to avail itself of the provisions of this Part shall make an application to the Election Commission for its registration as a political party for the purposes of this Act.
(b) Contributions to political parties
(c) Conduct of Elections
(d) Scheduling the Elections
(e) Campaign
(f) Election Expenses
(g) Polling Days
(h) Ballot Papers, EVMs & Symbols
(i) Provisions Regarding Disputes in Elections
Disputes relating to elections of the State Legislature and Union Legislature are adjudicated upon exclusively by the High Courts before whom election petitions under Section 80 and 80-A of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, are filed.
VVPAT Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or Verifiable Paper Record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot less voting system. It is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines. Voter-verified paper audit trail was first used in an election in India in September 2013 in Noksen (Assembly Constituency) in Nagaland. Then VVPAT system was introduced in 8 of 543 parliamentary constituencies as a pilot project in Indian general election, 2014. For the first time that an entire state in India saw the implementation of VVPAT in the entire Goa state in the 2017 assembly elections. The Supreme Court had directed the EC to conduct 2019 national elections entirely with VVPAT machines. SC had observed that VVPAT will ensure free and fair polls and help in sorting out disputes. |