First-past-the-post Electoral System

The FPTP is a simple electoral system where the winning candidate from a constituency need not secure more than 50% of the total votes polled.

• The FPTP is a simple electoral system where the winning candidate from a constituency need not secure more than 50% of the total votes polled.
• This means, for instance, that a candidate emerges as a winner with 23% votes as long as their opponents secure less than them individually, and it does not matter if the aggregate votes polled against the amount to 77%.

What are its criticisms?

• An anomaly of not being representative enough
• money becoming the precondition to contest in elections
• systematic isolation of select communities
• consolidation of the majority of communities
• money and muscle power of the larger parties are predominant

What are the recommendations for India?

• The Indian Law Commission, in its 170th report in 1999 and 277th report in 2015, had recommended the center to reboot the electoral system by combining FPTP with PR, based on the German hybrid electoral system. 

Proportional Representation and Representative Democracy 

• The proportional representation PR electoral system is more representative in nature, lending voice to various communities and their aspirations.
• Political parties are rewarded with seats proportional to their vote shares in the PR system.
• Depending on their needs, multicultural societies like Germany, Australia, South Africa among others have adopted variants of PR.