The Representation of the People Act, 1951

The Representation of the People Act, 1951, pertains to the conduct of elections for the Houses of Parliament and the Houses of the Legislature of each state, from the notification of elections to the resolution of election disputes. The Act specifies the procedures to be followed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), an autonomous Constitutional body that administers national and state elections. The Act mentions what qualifies or disqualifies a candidate from contesting elections; defines corrupt practice; mandates the registration of political parties; and stipulates the procedure for the nomination of candidates, polling and the declaration of election results. The Act also confers the right to vote on every person whose name is on the electoral roll.