What is the process of election of the President of India?
Q:
Who elects the president of India?
Article 54 provides that President shall be elected by the electoral college consisting of: The elected members of both the houses of parliament The elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states
Q:
What is the process of the election?
Article 55(3) says that the election of the President shall be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. Voting is done by secret ballot. Article 55(1) provides that as far as practicable there shall be uniformity in the scale of representation among the states inter se as well as parity between the states as a whole and the union in the election of president.
Q:
What are the qualifications for the office of the Indian president?
Under article 58, he must be:
- Citizen of India
- Completed the age of 35 years
- Qualified for election as a member of the House of People (i.e. he must be registered as a voter in any parliamentary constituency
- Does not hold office of profit under Government of India, or the government of any state or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the said government.
Q:
Who settles the disputes regarding the elections?
Article 71 provides that all disputes arising out of the election of President or Vice-President shall be inquired into and decided by the supreme court whose decision shall be final. In case the election of President is declared void by the Supreme Court, the acts performed by President before the date of such decision of court do not get invalidated.
Q:
What causes vacancy in the office of president?
Article 65(1) states that vacancy may be caused by the following ways: On the expiry of his term (5 years) By his death By his resignation On his removal by impeachment Otherwise eg. on setting aside of his election as a President If vacancy is caused by expiration of term, election to fill the vacancy must be completed before the expiration of term.