Indian Presidential Election Process: Details

Indian Presidential Election Process: Details

**1. 70th Constitutional Amendment (1992): Voting Rights for Delhi and Pondicherry**

*   The 70th Constitutional Amendment in 1992 granted members of the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Pondicherry the right to vote in Presidential elections.

**2. Who Cannot Vote in Presidential Elections:**

*   The following individuals are NOT eligible to vote in the Presidential election:
    *   Members nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President.
    *   Members nominated to the Lok Sabha.
    *   Members of Legislative Assemblies nominated by Governors.
    *   Members of Legislative Councils in the 6 states where they exist.

**3. Electoral College Modifications:**

*   Parliament has the power to make changes and amendments to the 'Electoral College' through constitutional amendments.

**4. Article 55: Method of Presidential Election**

*   **Election by Electoral College:** The Indian President is elected by members of the 'Electoral College'.
*   **Proportional Representation:** The election method is based on the 'Proportional Representation' system.
*   **Irish Influence:** India adopted the Presidential election method from Ireland.

**5. Key Aspects of Proportional Representation:**

*   **Preference Voting:** Members cast their votes based on 'preference'.
*   **Vote Value:**  Votes of members are assigned a specific 'value'.
*   **Quota System:** The winning candidate must secure 'quota' votes, which is more than 50% of the total valid votes.

**6. Vote Transfer System & Vote Value Calculation:**

*   In Presidential elections, the votes of Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) are assigned value.
*   **MLA Vote Value Formula:**
    ```
    MLA Vote Value = (State Population / Number of Elected MLAs) x (1/1000)
    ```

**7. States with High MLA Vote Value:**

*   Uttar Pradesh (UP) - 208
*   Tamil Nadu - 176
*   Maharashtra - 175

**8. States with Low MLA Vote Value:**

*   Sikkim - 7
*   Arunachal Pradesh - 8
*   Nagaland - 9

**9. Andhra Pradesh (AP) MLA Vote Value:**

*   Andhra Pradesh MLA Vote Value = 148

**10. Population Basis for Vote Value Calculation:**

*   The 1971 population census is used as the basis for calculating MLA vote values.
*   This is because the delimitation of constituencies in State Legislative Assemblies and the determination of the number of MLAs were based on the 1971 population census.

**Note:** This information is based on the provided Telugu document and reflects details about the Indian Presidential election process.