What are the different kinds of elections held in India?
India is the world’s largest democracy. Since it’s so big, one government alone can't run the entire country.
For the smooth running of the country, the entire government body in India is divided into three levels. Elections are held at each of these levels through which people can choose their leaders. Let’s learn more about these levels!
Level 1: The highest level of government in India is the Central Government. Leaders who are elected through the General Elections form the Central Government. These leaders watch over the whole country and see that everything is done properly.
Level 2: Then comes the State Government. Leaders who are elected through the State Legislative Assembly Elections form the State Government. These leaders oversee the running of their respective states (like Maharashtra, West Bengal, etc.).
Level 3: The last level is the local elections. These are called Panchayat Elections if you live in a village and Municipal Elections if you live in a city.
How do the State Assembly Elections work?
Each state in India is divided into different parts. Each of these parts is called a constituency. People vote for candidates that they like from their constituency. These candidates often belong to political parties like the Congress, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), etc.
A candidate who wins the election from their constituency is called a Member of the Legislative Assembly or MLA. MLAs from each constituency together form the State Government. The leader of the MLAs becomes the Chief Minister of the state. These elections are held once every five years.
What happened in the Assembly Elections of 2022?
In 2022, five states in India had their Assembly Elections. The BJP won in four of these five states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. The AAP won in Punjab. After the Assembly Elections of 2022, the BJP now runs the State Governments of 12 states all over India.
