Question 94 from UPSC CSE 2017 - Polity and
Governance

Question

Consider the following statements:
1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 percent of the votes polled, to be declared elected.
2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's to the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Strategy: Evaluate each statement for factual correctness. For Statement 1, recognize that Indian general elections use the First Past the Post system, where the candidate with the most votes wins, not a majority over 50%. For Statement 2, identify that there is no constitutional rule assigning Speaker or Deputy Speaker posts to specific parties; this is a convention, not a law. Conclude that since both statements are inaccurate, the correct answer is 'Neither 1 nor 2'.

Key Info: ## Electoral System

Indian general elections for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies use the **First Past the Post (FPTP)** system. In this system, the candidate with the highest number of valid votes is declared the winner. There is no requirement to obtain more than 50% of the total votes. A candidate's winning percentage can be significantly less than 50% if the vote is split among many contenders.

## Speaker and Deputy Speaker Roles

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are elected by the members of the House under **Article 93** of the Constitution. The Constitution does not specify which party these offices must belong to. By convention, the Speaker is typically from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker from the opposition. However, this is a parliamentary convention, not a constitutional or legal mandate. State legislative assemblies follow a similar process under **Article 178**. These conventions are not legally enforceable in court.

Answer

Option A: 1 only

Answer

Option B: 2 only

Answer

Option C: Both 1 and 2