
It’s a myth that 2014 election was exceptional in the vote share of winning candidates
Elections to the Lok Sabha are highly competitive. Indian politicians win with smaller margins than their counterparts in other countries with a similar electoral system, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.
In a first-past-the-post electoral system, a candidate needs 50 per cent plus one vote to win the election if only two candidates compete for a seat. If there are three candidates who are equally strong, a winning candidate will need only one-third of the votes plus one additional vote. In India, usually a large number of candidates compete for each Lok Sabha seat, many of whom are non-serious. This makes it possible for several Indian politicians to get elected with a very low vote share.
And, this may have important implications for their legitimacy and accountability as people’s representatives.
- Utgivelsesår: 2019
- Fullversjon: https://theprint.in/opinion/its-a-myth-that-2014-election-was-exceptional-in-the-vote-share-of-winning-candidates/213838/
- Språk: Engelsk
- Tidsskrift: ThePrint