Elections and Political Parties

Anti-defection law (10th Schedule)

The Anti-Defection Law is contained in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
It was added by the 52nd Amendment Act of 1985 to address the problem of political defection.
Defection refers to the act of a legislator switching parties after being elected on a party ticket.
The law aims to ensure stability in governments by discouraging legislators from changing their political allegiance.
It applies to both the Parliament and the State Legislatures

Political parties are essential for the functioning of a democratic system.
India has a multi-party system with a mix of national and regional parties.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for recognizing political parties.
A National Party must fulfill specific criteria such as obtaining at least 6% of the valid votes in at least four states and winning a minimum of four seats in the Lok Sabha.
A Regional (State) Party is recognized if it secures at lea

Electoral reforms aim to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in a democratic system.
The introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has reduced instances of ballot tampering and improved efficiency.
The Model Code of Conduct ensures that political parties and candidates follow ethical practices during elections.
The NOTA (None of the Above) option empowers voters to reject all candidates on the ballot.
Implementation of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for conducting elections in India.
Established under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.
The ECI is responsible for elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and offices of the President and Vice President.
The Commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and a variable number of Election Commissioners.
Initially, the ECI was a single-member body, bu