Consider the following statements:In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candi

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2017 UPSC Prelims Indian Polity & Governance paper.

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This UPSC Prelims 2017 Indian Polity & Governance question has a medium difficulty level and is marked as an important question and is one of the most repeated questions.

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Question

Consider the following statements:In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 percent of the votes polled, to be declared elected.According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's to the Opposition.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2Solution:Statement 1 — Winning candidate must get at least 50% of votes: This is incorrect. India follows the First Past the Post (FPTP) system for Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections. Under this system, a candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate in the constituency is declared elected — even if they receive far less than 50% of the total votes polled. There is no minimum percentage requirement. ✗Statement 2 — Constitution mandates Speaker for majority party, Deputy Speaker for Opposition: This is incorrect. The Constitution does not prescribe that the Speaker's post must go to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition. Under Articles 93 (Lok Sabha) and 178 (State Assemblies), both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by the members of the House from among themselves. The allocation of these posts between parties is a matter of convention and political negotiation — not a constitutional mandate. ✗Why other options are incorrect:Options A, B, C: All affirm one or both statements which are factually wrong.Key Concept: The FPTP system means a candidate can win a constituency with even 20–25% of votes in a multi-cornered contest. This is one of the key criticisms of the system — low vote share can result in election victory. Alternative systems like Proportional Representation (PR) require broader voter support. Regarding the Speaker, the convention of giving the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition is followed in some states and at certain times but is not constitutionally mandated. The Speaker's role is to be impartial and nonpartisan once elected, regardless of party affiliation.

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