ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA

🏛️ ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA – COMPLETE PROCEDURE

1️⃣ Nature of Election: Direct or Indirect?

The President of India is NOT elected directly by the people.
He/she is elected by an Electoral College.
This is called an indirect election.

👉 Reason (basic idea):

India follows a parliamentary system, where the President is a nominal head, not the real executive.
Hence, direct election is avoided.

2️⃣ Electoral College: Who Votes?

The Electoral College consists of only elected representatives, not nominated ones.

✅ Members who DO vote:

Elected members of Lok Sabha
Elected members of Rajya Sabha
Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies
Elected members of Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry

📌 Delhi & Puducherry included by 70th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 (effective 1995)

❌ Members who DO NOT vote:

Nominated MPs (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha)
Nominated MLAs
Members of Legislative Councils (MLCs)
Nominated members of Delhi & Puducherry Assemblies

📌 Important:

If a State Assembly is dissolved, its members cannot vote, even if fresh elections are pending.

3️⃣ Why This Composition? (Core UPSC Logic)

The Constitution aims at:

Uniformity among States
Parity between Union and States

Meaning:

Big states should not dominate.
Centre and States should have balanced weight.

This balance is achieved through value of votes, not one-person-one-vote.

4️⃣ Value of Vote of an MLA (Most Important Formula)

Each MLA does not have one vote.
They have multiple-value votes.

🔢 Formula:

\text{Value of MLA’s vote} = \frac{\text{Population of the State}}{\text{Number of elected MLAs}} \div 1000

📌 Population used:

1971 Census
As per 84th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2001
Valid until first census after 2026

👉 Why 1971?

To prevent states with high population growth from getting extra advantage.

Value of Vote of an MLA – Real Example

Let’s take Uttar Pradesh (biggest state, so best example).

📌 Data used (official 2022 election):

Population (1971 Census): 8,38,49,905
Total elected MLAs: 403

🔢 Formula:

\text{Value of MLA vote} = \frac{\text{Population}}{\text{Number of MLAs}} \div 1000

🔢 Calculation:

\frac{8,38,49,905}{403} = 2,08,063

Now divide by 1000:

2,08,063 ÷ 1000 = 208

✅ Final Answer

👉 Each MLA of Uttar Pradesh had 208 votes in the 2022 Presidential Election.

🔍 Meaning in simple words:

1 UP MLA’s vote value= 208 votes
NOT equal to 1 MP vote
This ensures population-based representation

❓ Your Doubt

How can a single MLA vote with 208 votes? Isn’t one person = one vote? Isn’t that practically difficult?

Answer:
👉 The MLA is NOT voting 208 times.
👉 He/she is voting ONCE, but that one vote carries a weight of 208.

❌ Wrong understanding

MLA casts 208 separate votes ❌
MLA presses button 208 times ❌

✅ Correct understanding

MLA casts ONE ballot
That ballot has a numerical value = 208

👉 This is called a weighted vote, not multiple voting.

📌 Quick comparison (for understanding):

State	MLA Vote Value
Uttar Pradesh	208
Karnataka	131
Tamil Nadu	176
Kerala	152
Sikkim	7

👉 Bigger population = higher MLA vote value.

5️⃣ Value of Vote of an MP

Now, parity between States and Union is ensured.

🔢 Formula:

\text{Value of MP’s vote} = \frac{\text{Total value of votes of all MLAs}}{\text{Total elected MPs}}

📌 Same value for:

Lok Sabha MP
Rajya Sabha MP

Value of Vote of an MP – Real Example

Now we ensure parity between States and Union.

📌 Step 1: Total value of all MLA votes (India)

Total value of votes of all MLAs (2022)
= 5,43,231

(This is an official Election Commission figure.)

📌 Step 2: Total elected MPs

Lok Sabha (elected): 543
Rajya Sabha (elected): 233
Total MPs = 776

🔢 Formula:

\text{Value of MP vote} = \frac{\text{Total MLA votes}}{\text{Total MPs}}

🔢 Calculation:

\frac{5,43,231}{776} ≈ 700

✅ Final Answer

👉 Each MP (LS or RS) had 700 votes in the 2022 Presidential Election.

🧠 What This Achieves (VERY IMPORTANT FOR UPSC)

✔ Federal balance

States (MLAs total votes)
≈
Union (MPs total votes)

✔ Equality

One MP from Rajya Sabha
One MP from Lok Sabha

✔ No domination

Neither Centre nor big States can dominate alone

📝 How to Write This in UPSC Mains (2 Lines)

For instance, in the 2022 Presidential Election, the value of an MLA’s vote in Uttar Pradesh was 208, while the value of each MP’s vote was fixed at 700, ensuring parity between the States and the Union.

6️⃣ Method of Election

The President is elected by:

Proportional Representation
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Secret Ballot

👉 What this ensures:

President is elected by absolute majority, not simple majority.

6.1 Proportional Representation (PR) – BASIC EXAMPLE

🧠 Idea in one line

Winner should be acceptable to MOST people, not just slightly more than others.

🧑‍🏫 Classroom Example

Suppose 10 students are choosing a Class Monitor.

Candidates:

A (liked by 4 students)
B (liked by 3 students)
C (liked by 3 students)

If we use simple majority:

A wins with only 4/10 support
6 students don’t like A ❌

👉 That’s not fair for an important post.

✔ What PR wants

Monitor should be someone most students can accept
Even if not their first choice

So PR = broad acceptability, not narrow win.

📝 President link (simple)

President must represent whole India, not just one party.

6.2 Single Transferable Vote (STV) – BASIC EXAMPLE

Now let’s see HOW PR is achieved.

1. What does “Single” mean?

Each voter gets ONE ballot paper
Not one vote value — one ballot

So:

MLA with value 208 → one ballot worth 208
MP with value 700 → one ballot worth 700

2. What does “Transferable” mean?

Your vote can move from:
- 1st preference → 2nd preference → 3rd preference
ONLY if your higher preference candidate is:
- Eliminated

👉 Vote is never wasted.

3. What does “Vote” mean here?

Vote = ballot + its value
Value remains the same
Only candidate changes

Setup

10 voters
1 post (President)
Candidates: A, B, C, D
Winning line (quota) = 6 votes

STEP 1️⃣ How voters rank candidates

Voter	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
1	A	B	C	D
2	A	B	D	C
3	A	C	B	D
4	B	A	C	D
5	B	C	A	D
6	C	B	A	D
7	C	A	B	D
8	D	A	B	C
9	A	B	C	D
10	B	A	D	C

STEP 2️⃣ Quota (winning line)

Total votes = 10
Quota = 6 (>50%)

STEP 3️⃣ ROUND 1 – Count ONLY 1st preferences ✅

Candidate	First-preference votes
A	4
B	3
C	2
D	1

👉 Clear lowest = D
No confusion. No tie.

❌ No one reached 6 → continue.

STEP 4️⃣ Eliminate D (lowest)

Now check D voter’s 2nd preference:

Voter 8 → A

So D’s 1 vote transfers to A.

STEP 5️⃣ ROUND 2 – After D eliminated

Candidate	Votes
A	5
B	3
C	2

👉 Lowest now = C

Still no one reached 6.

STEP 6️⃣ Eliminate C

Check C voters’ 2nd preferences:

Voter 6 → B
Voter 7 → A

So:

+1 to B
+1 to A

STEP 7️⃣ ROUND 3 – After C eliminated

Candidate	Votes
A	6 ✅
B	4

🎉 A reaches quota (6)

✅ FINAL RESULT

👉 Candidate A is elected

🔍 WHAT YOU SHOULD NOTICE (VERY IMPORTANT)

✔ Elimination is ALWAYS of the lowest

Round 1 → D
Round 2 → C

✔ Votes are not wasted

D’s vote moved to A
C’s votes moved to A & B

✔ Winner gets absolute majority

Not just highest, but >50%

🧠 ONE-LINE MEMORY VERSION

Count 1st preference → remove lowest → transfer votes → repeat → majority wins.

📝 UPSC-READY LINE (SIMPLE)

Under the single transferable vote system, the candidate securing the least first-preference votes is eliminated and his votes are transferred according to next preferences until one candidate secures an absolute majority.

🔍 WHAT YOU JUST LEARNED (KEY TAKEAWAYS)

✔ Proportional Representation

Winner supported by most voters, not just first-choice votes

✔ Single Transferable Vote

Votes move when candidate is eliminated
No vote is wasted

✔ Secret Ballot

Nobody knows who voted for whom

7️⃣ Ballot Paper & Preferences

Each voter gets one ballot paper.
Voter marks preferences:
- 1 (first preference)
- 2 (second preference)
- 3, 4, and so on

📌 Voter can mark as many preferences as candidates.

8️⃣ Electoral Quota (Winning Formula)

To win, a candidate must secure a fixed quota.

🔢 Formula:

\text{Quota} = \frac{\text{Total valid votes}}{2} + 1

(Since only one President is to be elected)

📊 ACTUAL DATA (Presidential Election 2022)

🔹 Total value of votes in Electoral College:

MLAs (all States + Delhi + Puducherry)
MPs (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha)

👉 Grand total vote value = 10,86,431

(This is the official figure used in 2022.)

📐 Quota Formula (President only)

$\textbf{Electoral Quota} = \frac{\text{Total valid vote value}}{2} + 1$

🧮 REAL CALCULATION

$\frac{10,86,431}{2} = 5,43,215.5$

Now add 1 and ignore fraction:

$\boxed{\textbf{Quota = 5,43,216}}$

✅ Meaning (very important)

👉 Any candidate who got 5,43,216 votes or more
👉 Was immediately elected President of India

🗳️ REAL COUNTING (2022)

Candidates:

Droupadi Murmu
Yashwant Sinha

🔁 First Preference Count (Actual Result)

Candidate	Vote Value
Droupadi Murmu	6,76,803 ✅
Yashwant Sinha	3,80,177

🧠 VERY IMPORTANT TABLE

Component	Vote Value
MLAs (States + UTs)	5,43,231
MPs (LS + RS)	5,43,200
Grand Total	10,86,431
Quota (2022)	5,43,216

🎉 RESULT

Required quota = 5,43,216
Murmu secured = 6,76,803

👉 She crossed the quota in the FIRST ROUND itself
👉 No vote transfer was needed

❗ NOW YOUR REAL CONFUSION (OLDER YEARS)

Example:

1952 → Rajendra Prasad = 5,07,400
1969 → V.V. Giri = 4,20,077
1967 → Zakir Hussain = 4,71,244

You’re thinking:

“These are all LESS than 5,43,216 — how did they win?”

👉 Because 5,43,216 is ONLY for 2022, not for earlier elections.

📊 REALITY CHECK WITH A SIMPLE ANALOGY

Think like this 👇

Year	Total Vote Value	Quota	Winner’s Votes
1952	~6,05,000	~3,02,501	5,07,400 ✅
1969	~8,36,000	~4,18,001	4,20,077 ✅
2022	10,86,431	5,43,216	6,76,803 ✅

👉 Winner always crosses THAT YEAR’S quota, not 2022’s quota.

🚫 BIGGEST MISUNDERSTANDING (AVOID THIS)

❌ Thinking quota is constant
❌ Comparing votes of different years with one quota
❌ Using 2022 quota for 1952/1969 data

✅ Always remember:

Quota is year-specific

9️⃣ Counting Process (Very Important)

Phase 1: First Preference Count

If any candidate gets the required quota, he/she is declared elected.

Phase 2: Transfer of Votes (If no one wins)

Candidate with least first-preference votes is eliminated.
His/her second-preference votes are transferred to remaining candidates.
Process continues until someone reaches the quota.

👉 This is why it’s called Single Transferable Vote.

🔟 Disputes & Judicial Control

All disputes related to President’s election are decided by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court’s decision is final.

Important Safeguards:

Election cannot be challenged due to:
- Vacancy in Electoral College
If election is declared void:
- Acts done by President earlier remain valid

1️⃣1️⃣ Why Indirect Election? (Constituent Assembly Reasons)

Reason 1: Parliamentary System

President is a nominal executive
Real power lies with Council of Ministers
Direct election + no real power = contradiction

Reason 2: Practical Difficulty

Huge electorate
Very costly and time-consuming
Not justified for a symbolic office

Reason 3: Federal Balance

Election by Parliament alone would ignore States
Present system makes President:
- Representative of Union + States

1️⃣2️⃣ Important Criticism (UPSC Value Addition)

Term “Proportional Representation” is technically incorrect because:
- PR applies when multiple seats are filled
- Here only one seat (President)
Better called:

Preferential / Alternative Vote System