Why in the news?: EC announces biennial polls to 37 Rajya Sabha seats.
Historical Background:
- The idea of a bicameral legislature (Council of States and Legislative Assembly) was introduced under the Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms).
- Franchise – Limited to elites and British interests.
- Government of India Act 1935– retained bicameralism at the Centre
- The first election to the Rajya Sabha was held in 1952(after the Constitution came into force in 1950 and following the first general elections of 1951–52).
- Article 80(4) of the Indian Constitution – manner of election of members of the Rajya Sabha representing the States.
- Members of the Rajya Sabha are not elected directly by the people. They are elected by the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) (Indirect elections).
The Election is Conducted Using:
- Proportional Representation – Parties get seats in proportion to their strength in assemblies.
- By means of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, MLAs rank candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3 etc). Votes can be transferred based on preferences if a candidate gets surplus votes or is eliminated.
- Through an open ballot – MLAs must show their marked ballot to their party’s authorized agent (to prevent crossvoting)
Source: The Indian Express