Elections in the Indian union territory of Puducherry are conducted every five years to elect members to the Puducherry Legislative Assembly and members of parliament to the Lok Sabha. There are 30 assembly constituencies and 1 Lok Sabha constituency. The union territory has conducted 14 assembly elections and 15 Lok Sabha elections since independence.
The lieutenant governor of Puducherry is the ceremonial head of the union territory. However, it is the chief minister of Puducherry who is elected as the leader of the party or political alliance having a majority in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The chief minister will be the leader of the executive branch of the government of Puducherry. The chief minister is the chief adviser to the lieutenant governor of Puducherry and the head of the union territory council of ministers.
Elections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for monitoring and administering the elections for the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of the People) of the Parliament and the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The ECI appoints the chief electoral officer of Puducherry, an I.A.S. officer who oversees state-level election matters.
The Puducherry Election Commission is the state body of Puducherry that is enacted under the provisions of the constitution and is responsible for monitoring and administering the elections for local government in Puducherry. This body is responsible for ensuring elections are free and fair, without any bias.
Elections ensure the conduct of members pre-elections, during elections, and post-elections is as per statutory legislation.
The election commission handles all election-related disputes. If the laws enacted to deal with the given situation in conducting elections are silent or do not make adequate provisions, the Madras High Court has ruled that the Election Commission has residual powers to act appropriately under the constitution.
Types of elections
Elections in Puducherry include elections for:
- Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
- Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (Lower House)
- Members of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly
- Members of local governance bodies (municipal bodies and panchayats)
- A bye-election is held when the elected member of a particular constituency dies, resigns, or is disqualified.
Rajya Sabha elections
Members of parliament in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) from Puducherry are not directly elected by being voted upon by all adult citizens of the union territory but by the members of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. Candidates who win the Rajya Sabha elections are called "Members of Parliament" and hold their seats for six years. The house meets in the Rajya Sabha Chamber of the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi on matters relating to the creation of new laws or removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens of India. Elections take place to elect one member from Puducherry.[1]
Lok Sabha elections
Members of parliament in the Lok Sabha (House of the People) from Puducherry are directly elected by being voted upon by all adult citizens of the union territory from a set of candidates who stand in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the Lok Sabha elections are called "Members of Parliament" and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the president of India on the advice of the council of ministers. The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chamber of the Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi on matters relating to the creation of new laws or removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens of India. Elections take place once every five years to elect one member from Puducherry.[2]
History of Lok Sabha elections
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Legislative Assembly elections
Members of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly are directly elected by being voted upon by all adult citizens of the union territory from a set of candidates who stand in their respective constituencies. Every adult citizen of India can vote only in their constituency. Candidates who win the legislative assembly elections are called "Members of the Legislative Assembly" and hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the lieutenant governor of Puducherry on the advice of the council of ministers. The house meets in the Assembly Chamber of the Chief Secretariat in Puducherry on matters relating to the creation of new laws or removing or improving the existing laws that affect all citizens of Puducherry. Elections take place once every five years to elect 30 members to the legislative assembly. The leader of the majority party or alliance takes oath as chief minister of Puducherry.[3]
History of Legislative Assembly elections
Bye-election
When an elected member of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, or Puducherry Legislative Assembly left their office vacant before their term ended, a bye-election was conducted to find a suitable replacement to fill the vacant position.
Common reasons for bye-elections:
There are also other reasons that occur when the incumbent is disqualified for being ineligible to continue in office (criminal conviction, failure to maintain a minimum level of attendance in the office due to election irregularities found later, or when a candidate wins more than one seat and has to vacate one).[4]
See also
- Lok Sabha
- Rajya Sabha
- Elections in India
- Parliament of India
- History of Puducherry
- Government of Puducherry
- Puducherry Legislative Assembly
References
- ↑ Rajya Sabha Election 2017: Here Is How Members Are Elected To Upper House(7 August 2017). Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ Terms of the Houses: Detail of Terms of the Union Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ Puducherry - Election Commission of India(3 June 2021). Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ↑ BYE ELECTIONS: Bye-Elections (also known as bypolls) are used to fill elected offices that have become vacant between general elections. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
External links
- Elections in India
- Election Commission of India
- Chief Electoral Officer, Puducherry
- Puducherry State Election Commission
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