Representative image of a person casting a vote.
Credit: PTI Photo
Beginning on November 20, Maharashtra will be going into assembly polls in a single phase, the results of which will be announced on November 23.
What is universal adult franchise?
According to Article 326 of the Indian Constitution, elections to the House of the People and the Legislative Assembly of each state are conducted based on universal adult suffrage.
This means that any individual who is a citizen of India and is at least 18 years old on the specified date, as determined by the appropriate legislative body, and who is not disqualified under the Constitution or any laws enacted by the appropriate legislature due to factors such as non-residence, unsoundness of mind, criminal activity, or engaging in corrupt or illegal practices, has the right to be registered as a voter for any such election.
All Indian citizens possess the right to vote without regard to their caste, religion, race, gender, or ethnicity.
History of universal adult franchise in India?
The call for universal adult suffrage gained momentum in India long before independence.
The Motilal Nehru report of 1928 was among the early advocates, supporting adult franchise and equal rights for women. Similarly, the resolution passed during the 1931 Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress emphasized that universal adult franchise was integral to achieving complete freedom or 'Purna Swaraj.'
On June 16, 1949, the drafting committee chairman introduced the provision for universal adult suffrage, marking a significant departure from colonial laws.
This declaration paved the way for elections in India to be based on universal adult suffrage.
Initially, the minimum voting age was set at 21. However, the Sixty-First Amendment Act of 1989 brought about a change, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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