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Q57 (IAS/2017) Polity & Governance › Parliament › Parliamentary elections Official Key

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

For an election to either House of Parliament, a candidate has to be an elector in any constituency in India[2]. This requirement is further clarified in the Representation of People Act (1951), which states that a candidate must be registered as an elector for a parliamentary constituency, and this is same in the case of both, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha[3]. Being an "elector" means the person's name must appear in the electoral roll of a constituency. Therefore, option C is correct as it accurately captures this requirement - any citizen whose name appears in the electoral roll of any constituency in India can file a nomination paper for Lok Sabha election.

Option A is incorrect because merely residing in India is insufficient; one must be a registered elector. Option B is too restrictive as the requirement that a candidate contesting an election should be an elector in that particular state was dispensed with in 2003[3] (for Rajya Sabha, and similar principle applies to Lok Sabha for most constituencies). Option D is incorrect because citizenship alone is not enough - registration as an elector is mandatory.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/23192_Election_2014.pdf
  2. [2] https://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/23192_Election_2014.pdf
  3. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 23: Parliament > Qualifications > p. 226
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Q. For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by [A] anyone residing in India. [B] a resident of the constituency from…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 7.5/10
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This is a 'Sitter' derived directly from the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, covered in every standard Polity text (Laxmikanth Chapter: Parliament). It tests the specific statutory requirement (RPA) rather than just the constitutional eligibility (Article 84). The trap lies in confusing 'Residency' with being a 'Registered Elector'.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Can anyone residing in India file a nomination paper for election to the Lok Sabha?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Basically, for an election to either House of Parliament, a candidate has to be an elector in any constituency in India;"
Why this source?
  • States the basic qualification for election to either House of Parliament: the candidate must be an elector in any constituency in India.
  • Shows that being merely a resident is not sufficient — one must be an elector (registered voter).
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"Candidates have to file their nomination papers in prescribed forms (Form 2A for Lok Sabha, 2B for Legislative Assembly, 2C for Rajya Sabha and 2D and 2E for Legislative Councils, appended to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961)."
Why this source?
  • Explains that nomination of candidates must be filed in prescribed forms (Form 2A for Lok Sabha), indicating a formal process for qualified candidates to file nominations.
  • Implicates that filing requires following eligibility and procedural rules, not open filing by anyone.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 18: President > Qualifications for Election as President > p. 189
Strength: 4/5
“A person to be eligible for election as President should fulfil the following qualifications: • 1. He/she should be a citizen of India. • 2. He/she should have completed 35 years of age. • 3. He/ she should be qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha. • 4. He /she should not hold any office of profit under the Union government or any state government or any local authority or any other public authority Further, the nomination of a candidate for election to the office of President must be subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders.”
Why relevant

Gives a rule that eligibility for the President includes being 'qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha', implying there exist defined qualifications for Lok Sabha membership which affect who may stand.

How to extend

A student could look up the statutory/constitutional qualifications for Lok Sabha membership (age, citizenship, electoral roll) to see whether 'residing in India' alone suffices to file nomination.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 80: Elections > ELECTION PROCESSs > p. 576
Strength: 4/5
“Elections to the Lok Sabha are carried out using a first-past-the-post electoral system. The country is split up into separate geographical areas, known as constituencies, and the electors can cast one vote each for a candidate, the winner being the candidate who gets the maximum votes. Elections to the State Assemblies are carried out in the same manner as for the Lok Sabha election, with states and union territories divided into Single-member constituencies, and the first-past-the-post electoral system used. The Election Commission compiles the complete list of members elected and issues an appropriate Notification for the due constitution of the House.”
Why relevant

Explains Lok Sabha elections use single-member geographical constituencies and first-past-the-post voting, implying candidates represent specific constituencies and are chosen by electors of that area.

How to extend

Combine this with knowledge of electoral rolls to check whether a nominee must be on a constituency electoral roll (which would exclude mere residents not registered as electors).

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 23: Parliament > Composition of Lok Sabha > p. 223
Strength: 3/5
“The voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988. 2. Representation of Union Territories The Constitution has empowered the Parliament to prescribe the manner of choosing the representatives of the union territories in the Lok Sabha. Accordingly, the Parliament has enacted the Union Thrritories (Direct Election to the House ofthe People) Act, 1965, by which the members of Lok Sabha from the union territories are also chosen by direct election. 3. Nominated Members Before 2020, the President nominated two members from the AnglO-Indian community2 to the Lok Sabha, if the community was not adequately represented.”
Why relevant

Describes composition of the Lok Sabha and notes existence of nominated members (Anglo-Indian) historically, showing that most members are elected and that special nomination is exceptional and constitutionally prescribed.

How to extend

A student could contrast the exceptional nomination power (by President) with ordinary candidate nomination procedures to infer that ordinary nomination is governed by election law rather than simple residence.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System > Election to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies > p. 132
Strength: 3/5
“Elections in India are often referred to as the 'Festival of Democracy' — a time when citizens exercise their right to choose representatives freely, fairly, and responsibly. We know that India follows a parliamentary system of government where citizens participate in various levels of elections — Lok Sabha (national level), state legislative assemblies (state level) and local bodies (city and village level). The country is divided into 543 constituencies for the Lok Sabha elections. The elected candidates to the Lok Sabha are known as Members of Parliament (MPs), whereas candidates elected to state assemblies are known as Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).”
Why relevant

States India follows a parliamentary system with citizens participating in Lok Sabha elections and that the country is divided into constituencies, emphasizing that elections are citizen-centred.

How to extend

Use basic facts that voters/candidates typically must be Indian citizens and registered electors to evaluate whether 'anyone residing in India' (including non-citizen residents) could file nomination.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 1994 · Q44 Relevance score: 2.88

Which one of the following statements is correct ?

CDS-II · 2010 · Q79 Relevance score: 2.65

Which of the following statements is/are correct ? 1. A registered voter in India can contest an election to Lok Sabha from any constituency in India. 2. As per the Representation of the People Act 1951, if a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to an imprisonment of 2 years or more, this will be disqualification to contest election. Select the correct answer using the code given below : .

CDS-II · 2006 · Q28 Relevance score: 1.89

Consider the following statements: 1. In the Lok Sabha, 12 member s are nominated by the President of India. 2. In the Rajya Sabha, a maximum of 2 members of the Anglo-Indian community can be nominated by the President of India. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

CDS-II · 2009 · Q83 Relevance score: 1.66

Under which of the following conditions security deposits of a candidate contesting for a Lok Sabha seat is returned to him/her? I. The nomination made by the candidate if found to be invalid. II. The candidate has withdrawn his/her nomination even through it is found valid. III. The candidate lost the polls but secured 1 /6th of the total number of valid votes polled in that election. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

IAS · 2003 · Q84 Relevance score: 1.56

Which one of the following statements is correct?