Consider the following statements: In the election for Lok Sabha or

Consider the following statements:

  • 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.
  • 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 ?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2017
The correct answer is D) Neither 1 nor 2. Both statements are incorrect regarding the Indian parliamentary system.
– Statement 1 is incorrect. In India’s First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system, the winning candidate in a Lok Sabha or State Assembly election needs to secure more votes than any other candidate, not necessarily 50 percent or more of the total votes polled. They simply need a plurality of votes.
– Statement 2 is incorrect. The Constitution of India does not lay down provisions mandating that the Speaker’s post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker’s to the Opposition. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by the members of the respective house (Lok Sabha or State Assembly). While there has been a convention in the Lok Sabha to offer the Deputy Speaker’s post to the opposition, this is a political convention, not a constitutional rule, and it has not always been followed.
The FPTP system is a simple majority system. The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is governed by rules of procedure of the legislature, not explicitly detailed distribution by the Constitution based on party lines. The convention of giving the Deputy Speaker post to the opposition is aimed at ensuring fairness and inclusivity in the functioning of the House.