Types of Elections held in India

Types of Elections held in India

There are 4 major types of election held in India explained below in brief.
General Election:

In General Elections, the candidates are elected for the Lok Sabha and they are called MP's(Member of Parliament). They are held every 5 years. At present there are 544 members of Lok sabha, there can be at maximum 552 members of Lok sabha (current). This number of seats can be altered by an amendment done by parliament.

Assemby Election:

The State Assembly elections in India are the elections in which the Indian electorates choose the members of the Vidhan Sabha (or Legislative/State Assembly). They are held every 5 years and the members of the legislative assembly are called MLA's.

Rajya Sabha Election:

The body is elected by state and territorial legislatures. Terms of office are for six years, with one third of the members retiring every two years.

There are 238 indirectly-elected members, who represent the 28 states and 2 Union Territories including the National Capital territory, New Delhi. Seats are allotted in proportion to population.

Under article 80 of the Constitution of India, out of the 250 members of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), 12 are nominated by the President of India from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in the fields such as literature, science, art or social service.

President Election:

The President is elected, from a group of nominees, by the elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years. A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the population of each state and the number of votes assembly members from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance between State Assembly members and National Parliament members.