Election of the President of India and dignity of the office

The most prestigious post in India’s democratic and constitutional system is that of the President of India. 

But, the way politics is happening in the last few days about the presidential election, the dignity of this post has been reduced. 

The President of India does not have any specific ideology of his own, according to the time and circumstances, whatever is in the interest of the country, it becomes his ideology and principle.

Some words for the country’s politics and politicians are very sensitive and politically popular in terms of profit and loss, such as Dalit, cow, Hindu, secular, minority, etc. 

There is a lot of politics by tossing these words. The dignity of the office of the President can be saved only when we can prevent it from being politicized. 

Let’s talk about how the president is elected before seeing how the dignity of this post is being damaged.

How is the election of the President?

The way to elect a President in India is not like the US. It is believed that the constitution-makers of India after studying the electoral practices of different countries included many important provisions in it.

While the Vice–President is elected by the elected members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the President is elected by the Electoral College, which consists of the elected members of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the assemblies of different states and union territories.

The electoral college has a proportionate representation of its members. Here his single vote is transferred, but his second choice is also counted.

This process is called a single vote transferable system or the single transferable vote method.

 

What is the single transferable vote method?

The President elects an electoral college, also known as the Electoral College. It is described in Article 54 of the Constitution. 

That is, the public does not directly elect their president, but the representatives elected by him. Since the public does not directly elect the President, it is called an indirect election.

Elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states and assemblies of Union territories and elected members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha participate in the election of the President of India.

It is noteworthy that members nominated by the President cannot vote in the presidential election.

There is also an important fact that members of the Legislative Council cannot exercise the vote in presidential elections.

It should be noted that the Legislative Councils exist in 9 states in India, but the President is elected by the representatives elected by the people.

Voting takes place in a special way in the presidential election in India. This is called the single transferable vote system. 

A single vote means that the voter gives a single vote, but he votes for many candidates on the basis of his preference. That is, he states on the ballot paper who his first choice is and second, who is the third.

If the winner of the first-choice votes cannot be decided, then the second choice of the voter is transferred to the candidate’s account like a new single vote. Therefore it is called the single transferable vote.

It is noteworthy that the votes of MPs and MLAs who vote cast their votes also differ. It is also called wattage. The weightage of the votes of the legislators of the two states also varies. 

This weightage is decided on the basis of the population of the state and the way it is decided is called the proportional representation system.

 

Powers of president

With the coming into force of the Constitution on 26 January 1950, the country began a new journey as a ‘Sovereign Democratic Republic‘. According to the definition, the Republic means that the head of the nation will be elected, which is called the President.

The powers of the President are as follows; Article 53: The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President. He will use it according to the constitution itself or through his subordinate officers. It also has its limitations;

1. It is the executive power (not of the states) of the Union, which is vested in it.

2. Those powers can be exercised only as per the constitution.

3. The power used as the supreme commander of the armed forces should be in accordance with the law.

 

Under the power of pardon obtained by Article 72, the President can pardon, suspend, commute, and remit the punishment of a person convicted of an offense. He also has the right to decide on the punishment of the convicted criminal.

On the basis of the powers obtained under Article 80, the President can nominate 12 persons having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, and social service to the Rajya Sabha.

Under Article 352, the President can declare an emergency in the event of war or external invasion, or armed rebellion.

Under Article 356, President’s rule can be imposed on the basis of the Governor’s report in case of failure of constitutional machinery of a state by the President.

At the same time, under Article 360, the President has the right to declare a financial emergency in the event of the financial crisis in India or any part of its territory.

 

The President has many other important powers

The President also discharges a number of other important powers, which he is not obliged to subject to Article 74.

He can ‘stop‘ the bill passed by both houses of parliament before giving his consent. He can send any bill (except money bill) again to the House for reconsideration.

According to Article 75, ‘The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President. When no party or coalition gets a clear majority in elections, the President invites people to form the government using his discretion. On such occasions, his role is crucial.

 

The question of dignity of the presidency

The ruling and the opposition should have decided the presidential candidate by consensus, but this initiative could not be taken. The person who sits on His Majesty’s chair is the head of the Indian Republic and the sovereign nation. 

In the constitutional system, his honor and authority are preserved as much as other persons of this tradition.

Today, the politics that is being seen from both sides regarding the Dalit candidate has hurt the dignity of this post. 

Political parties should understand that the mere addition of the word Dalit will not increase the dignity of the post nor will there be any change in the constitutional rights of the President nor will the President get unlimited rights.

If a person belonging to a society that has been oppressed and oppressed for decades, occupies a constitutional office, then a wave of hope runs in that society and their faith in democracy is strengthened, but the problem here is that both sides Dalit candidates have been brought in and the entire matter is being politicized.

 

The conclusion

There is no doubt that there should be social upliftment of the Dalit backward people and the lowest rungs of the society and they should get respect for equality in society.

Such people should have economic and social development, but the garland of caste, religion, language, and community should not be chanted in politics.

In fact, the privileges that Parliament has in the Indian polity do not belong to the President. His Majesty will not be able to make any separate law for Dalits.

In the Constitution of the Republic of India, all citizens have the right to equality and equality, be it a Dalit or a Brahmin, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Muslim, all have this right. 

Our constitution does not talk of any discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, language. Then for the prestigious post such as His Majesty, it will be said to talk about the word Dalit, to break the dignity of this post.