Electoral Reforms is a continuous concept in Indian polity, implemented through legislative acts, constitutional amendments, and judicial judgments, aimed at ensuring the efficiency, transparency, and fairness of the electoral process. The foundational legal framework is the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, enacted by the provisional Parliament under Article 327 before the first general election, to regulate the conduct of elections and define qualifications and disqualifications for membership. Reforms originated to address problems like the criminalization of politics and the misuse of money and muscle power.
The mechanism of reform connects directly to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which derives its power from Article 324 of the Constitution. Key provisions include the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988, which reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years. The introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in 1998 modernized the process and curbed malpractices like booth capturing.
A significant change was driven by judicial activism: the Supreme Court, in Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms (2003), mandated candidates to file an affidavit (Form 26) disclosing criminal cases, assets, and educational qualifications. More recently, the Court in Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2013) struck down Section 8(4) of the RPA, 1951, making the disqualification of a convicted legislator immediate upon conviction. The Court also directed the ECI to provide the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option on EVMs in People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2013). The system also connects to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), a set of guidelines for political parties and candidates. A major recent amendment was the introduction of Electoral Bonds in 2017 via Finance Bills, which allowed for anonymous political funding.