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Q2 (CDS-II/2025) Polity & Governance › Governance, Policies & Social Justice › Electoral systems Answer Verified

Which one of the following features is correct about the 'First Past the Post System' of election ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

The 'First Past the Post' (FPTP) system, also known as the Plurality System, is characterized by the principle that the candidate who secures more votes than any other candidate in a constituency is declared elected [1]. Crucially, the winning candidate does not need to secure a majority (more than 50%) of the total votes cast; they simply need to be ahead of their competitors [2]. This often leads to situations where a party wins a greater share of seats than its actual share of votes [1]. Unlike Proportional Representation (PR), FPTP utilizes single-member constituencies where only one representative is elected per geographical area [2]. In this system, voters typically vote for a specific candidate rather than a party list, and the distribution of seats is not proportional to the total percentage of votes received by a party [3].

Sources

  1. [1] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Chapter 3: Election and Representation > p. 57
  2. [2] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Chapter 3: Election and Representation > p. 59
  3. [3] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Chapter 3: Election and Representation > p. 61
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CDS-I · 2015 · Q81 Relevance score: 4.83

Which of the following is/are not the characteristic(s) of the First Past The Post System (FPTP) ? 1. It is a majoritarian system where minorities are likely to remain unrepresented. 2. A candidate may win an election even if he/she gets less than the majority of the votes cast. 3. It generates proportionality between the votes cast and the seats won. 4. It always leads to a two party system and a stable and accountable government. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

IAS · 2017 · Q76 Relevance score: -1.10

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 ?

CDS-I · 2022 · Q92 Relevance score: -1.51

Which one of the following methods is followed in electing the President of India ?

IAS · 1995 · Q5 Relevance score: -1.57

Consider the table given below providing some details of the results of the election to the Karnataka State Legislative . In terms of electoral analysis, the voter-seat distortion is to be explained as the result of the adoption of the

Political Party | Percentage of popular votes obtained | Number of seats secured
Janata Dal | 3.6 | 1.16
Congress | 3.1 | 3.5
BJP | 2.0.4 | 4.0

IAS · 1994 · Q64 Relevance score: -1.72

Assertion (A) : In India, the political parties which formed the governments represented the majority of seats secured in the elections to the House of the People at the Centre and the Legislative Assemblies in the States but not the majority of votes. Reason (R) : The elections based on the majority -vote system decide the result on the basis of relative majority of votes secured. In the context of the above statements, which one of the following is correct?