Description of Electoral System

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The President is elected by electoral college to serve a 5-year term. In the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), 250 members are to serve 6-year terms. In the People's Assembly (Lok Sabha), 543 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are appointed by the president. Up to 12 seats are appointed by the president and the remaining members are chosen by elected members of the state and territorial assemblies.

2007 Presidential Elections

Source: "RECENT ELECTIONS." INDIA. Statesman’s Yearbook Online. Ed. Barry Turner. Palgrave 2008. International IDEA. <http://www.statesmansyearbook.com/welcome/entry?entry=countries_in.RECENT_ELECTIONS>

Presidential elections were held on 21 July 2007. Pratibha Patil (backed by the ruling United Progressive Alliance) was elected by federal and state legislators, with 638,116 votes (65·8%), against 331,306 (34·2%) for incumbent vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

Parliamentary elections were held in four phases between 20 April and 10 May 2004. Turnout was 57·9%. The Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies gained 217 seats and received 34·6% of votes cast (112 seats in 1999), with the INC winning 145 seats; the National Democratic Alliance gained 185 seats and received 35·3% of the vote (182 seats in 1999), with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 138 seats; the Left Front (LF) won 59 seats; Samajwadi Party (SP) 36; Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 19; Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) 4; ind. 4; Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) 3. A total of ten other parties won either one or two seats and two members were nominated by the president.