Explained: How the President of India is elected | Presidential Elections 2022

Summary

The President of India holds the highest constitutional position in the country, serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Unlike direct elections, the president is elected by an electoral college comprising MPs and MLAs, with each vote having a specific value based on population and legislative strength. Voters select their preferences through a ballot, and a candidate must surpass a quota of votes to win. If no one reaches the quota, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated, and their ballots are redistributed until a winner emerges.

Takeaways

• 😀 The President of India is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
• 😀 The President is elected by an electoral college, not directly by the people of India.
• 😀 The electoral college includes MPs from both houses of Parliament and MLAs from all states and Union Territories (UTs).
• 😀 Nominated Rajya Sabha members and MLCs are not eligible to vote in the presidential election.
• 😀 MPs' vote value is fixed and calculated by dividing the total value of votes by the total number of elected MPs.
• 😀 MLAs' vote values differ based on their state's population and the strength of the state's legislative assembly.
• 😀 The formula to calculate an MLA's vote value is: (State's population / 1000) * Strength of the legislative assembly.
• 😀 In Karnataka, the value of an MLA's vote is calculated to be 131 based on the state's population and assembly strength.
• 😀 Voting is done via ballots, with MPs using green ballots and MLAs using pink ones, marking first and second preferences.
• 😀 To win, a candidate must surpass a certain quota, which is calculated by dividing the total value of valid votes by two and adding one.
• 😀 If no candidate meets the quota, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on second preferences.

Q & A

What is the role of the President of India?

The President of India is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Republic of India.

How is the President of India elected?

The President of India is elected by an electoral college, which includes members of both houses of Parliament and elected members of state and union territory legislative assemblies.

Do the people of India directly elect the President?

No, the President is not directly elected by the people of India. Instead, the election is conducted through an electoral college comprising MPs and MLAs.

Who is not eligible to vote in the Presidential election?

Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and members of legislative councils (MLCs) are not eligible to vote in the Presidential election.

How is the value of an MP's vote determined in the Presidential election?

The value of an MP's vote is fixed and is calculated by dividing the total value of votes of all states and union territories by the total number of elected MPs.

How is the value of an MLA's vote calculated?

The value of an MLA's vote is determined by dividing the population of their state (based on the 1971 census) by 1,000, and then multiplying by the strength of the state's legislative assembly.

Can you give an example of how to calculate the value of an MLA's vote?

For example, the value of a Karnataka MLA's vote is calculated as 29,299,014 (population of Karnataka) divided by 224 (strength of the Karnataka assembly) multiplied by 1,000, which equals 131.

How are votes cast in the Presidential election?

Votes are cast using ballot papers, with MPs using green-colored papers and MLAs using pink-colored ones. Voters mark their first preference with the number '1' and their second preference with the number '2'.

What is the quota needed to win the Presidential election?

The quota is determined by adding the total value of valid votes, dividing the sum by two, and adding one. A candidate needs to secure more votes than this quota to win.

What happens if no candidate crosses the quota in the Presidential election?

If no candidate crosses the quota, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the second preference. This process continues until a candidate exceeds the quota.