Independent Election Commission

· Elections in our country are conducted through a powerful and independent institution called the Election Commission of India.

· The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body which is an autonomous body independent of the government. It enjoys the same kind of independence like the judges of the Supreme Court of India.

· The Chief Election Commission of India (CEC) is appointed by the President of India, but after his appointment, the Chief Election Commissioner is not answerable to the President or the government.

· In a matter of election, it has been given wide powers to conduct free and fair election. They actively use these powers to form fair government.

· The government or the ruling party has no occasion to influence or pressurize the election commission.

Role of Election Commission

· The Election Commission takes decisions on every aspect related to the election from the announcement of elections to the declaration of results.

· The Election Commission supervises and controls the administration of elections. It checks and correct any fault immediately.

· The Election Commission implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party who is found guilty of any violation.

· During the election period, the Election Commission acquires powers to order the government to follow settled guidelines to prevent use and misuse of governmental power to enhance its chances to win elections, or to transfer some government officials.

· All the officers and staff of the government that is put on election duty works under the control of the Election Commission and not under the government.

Acceptance of Election Outcome

· The electoral outcomes in India are usually accepted as people’s verdict by the defeated candidates or party.

· The test of the free and fair election in India manifested in the outcome of the election result.

· In India, the result of election frequently changes the ruling government, which clearly illustrates that the elections in India are free and fair.

· The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India, both at the national and state level. In fact, in every two out of the three elections held in the last fifteen years, the ruling party lost.

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