Political Career for Indaian Youth-Contesting for Elections-FAQ1

Political Career for Indaian Youth - Contesting for Elections FAQ

Q 1. Can a non-citizen be a candidate?

Ans. No. A non citizen cannot be a contesting candidate in the elections. Article 84 (a) of the Constitution of India envisages that a person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill up a seat in the Parliament unless he is a citizen of India. Similar provision exists for State Legislative Assemblies in Article 173 (a) of the Constitution.

2. What is the minimum age for becoming a candidate for Lok Sabha or Assembly election?

Ans. Twenty Five (25) Years. Article 84 (b) of Constitution of India provides that the minimum age for becoming a candidate for Lok Sabha election shall be 25 years. Similar provision exists for a candidate to the Legislative Assemblies vide Article 173 (b) of the Constitution read with Sec. 36 (2) of the R. P. Act, 1950.

Q 3. If I am not registered as a voter in any Constituency, can I contest election?

Ans. No. For contesting an election as a candidate a person must be registered as a voter. Sec 4 (d) of Representation People Act, 1951 precludes a person from contesting unless he is an elector in any parliamentary constituency. Section 5 (c) of R. P. Act, 1951 has a similar provision for Assembly Constituencies.

Q 4. I am registered as a voter in Delhi. Can I contest election to Lok Sabha from Haryana or Maharashtra, or Orissa?

Ans. Yes. If you are a registered voter in Delhi, you can contest an election to Lok Sabha from any constituency in the country except Assam, Lakshadweep and Sikkim, as per Section 4 (c), 4 (cc) and 4 (ccc) of the R. P. Act, 1951.

Q 5. If some body is convicted for some offence and he is sentenced to imprisonment for 3 years, can he contest elections?

Ans. No. As per Section 8 (3) of R. P. Act, 1951, if a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to an imprisonment of 2 years or more, this will be disqualification to contest elections.

Q 6. Supposing he is on bail, pending disposal of his appeal, can he contest the election?

Ans. No. Even if is a person is on bail, after the conviction and his appeal is pending for disposal, he is disqualified from contesting an election as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India.

Q 7. Can a person confined in jail vote in an election?

Ans. No. According to section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Q 8. Every candidate is required to make security deposit. How much is the security deposit for Lok Sabha election?

Ans. Rupees Ten Thousand. As per Section 34 1 (a) of R. P. Act, 1951, every candidate is required to make a security deposit of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) for Lok Sabha elections.

Q 9. Is there any concession for a candidate belonging to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe?

Ans. Yes. The same section 34 of R. P. Act, 1951 provides that a candidate belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe is required to make a security deposit of Rs. 5,000 (Rupees Five Thousand Only).

Q 10. How much is the security deposit for an Assembly election?

Ans. Rupees Five Thousand (5000). As per Sec. 34 (1) (b) of the R. P. Act 1951, a general candidate for contesting an Assembly election will have to make a security deposit of Rs. 5,000/-. A candidate belonging to Scheduled Caste / Tribe will have to make a security deposit of Rs. 2,500/- (Two Thousand and Five Hundred Only).