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* Unfolding ^/A7 taL6JAf .Elections & Journey of the living democracy India has been able to uphold its democracy, through the ebb and flow of political and security challenges. India has proved its detractors wrong, and survived the crises that befell on many Asian and African nations in post-colonial era. A large measure of credit should go to India's free and fair elections. They have reflected the people's will, and provided for seamless transition of power at the Centre and the states. Their results have seldom been challenged, and accepted by the electorate and people's representatives. This is something we should be proud of in the world's largest democracy. Journey of the living democracy First Edition: 2017 (Saka 1938) i Price: ? 1710.00 © Election Commission of India Envisioned by : Umesh Sinha ISBN: 978-81-230-2335-9 Guided by : Padma Angmo ECI-ENG-OP-1 31 -2016-17 Collated by : Aarti Aggarwal Designed by: : Arul Harris and Team Text, Photographs & Illustrations: © Election Commission of India Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi -110001 www.eci.nic.in Published by Additional Director General Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Government of India, Soochna Bhawan CGO Complex, Lodhi Road New Delhi -110 003 http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in Editorial coordination : Dharini Mishra, Harini Srinivasan, Publications Division Production coordination : V. K. 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Ltd., www.archanapress.com ■% m* ^ a w ^ w a w a. -m. ^ Journey of the living democracy PUBLICATIONS DIVISION Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India u Democracy must, in essence, mean the art and science of mobilising the entire physical, economic and spiritual resources of all the various sections of the people, ^ ^ in the service of the common good of all. Mahatma Gandhi Message Chief Election Commissioner of India I am extremely pleased to place the coffee table book Unfolding Indian Elections - Journey of the living democracy in the hands of the readers. We renew our faith in democracy periodically through elections. Elections are a festival of democracy that cut across ethnic, linguistic, regional and religious barriers. In an open democracy like India, elections lead to contemplations and discussions. But what each election leaves behind is memories - some inspiring, some instructive and others plainly nostalgic. This book is essentially an election memoir. An image, they say, is worth a thousand words. Each section of this book is thematically organized into a set of photos. To provide a perspective, each section is accompanied by a concise chapter. They cover the evolutionary pattern of elections in India in addition to the salient aspects. A constitutionally guaranteed independent Election Commission is indeed a matter of pride for Indian democracy. In this regard, India has been a role model for many liberal democracies of the world. But elections are ultimately about the people. It is they who send their representatives to the legislatures that the political destiny of India might be decided. Therefore, elections in India have become more and more voter-centric. The freedom of the nation must reflect in the freeness and fairness of elections. We have matured over the last 67 years as a republic. I am hopeful that this coffee table book will instill pride in the minds of people for being a citizen of India. Dr. Nasim Zaidi Chief Election Commissioner of India Message Election Commissioner of India I have immense pleasure in recommending to you the coffee table book 'Unfolding Indian Elections -Journey of the living democracy'. The present book marks a departure from the official reports published by the Election Commission from time to time. We felt there was a scope for a book on the evolution of Indian elections, which could be treasured as a collector's item and hence this coffee table book was conceived. The textual contents of the chapters trace the development of electoral principles in India, in addition to highlighting certain conceptual aspects even as the images speak for themselves. The elections are a gigantic administrative exercise seen from the Election Commission's perspective. But seen from people's perspective they are proof of India's living democracy. It is the hour when a common citizen's opinion is most solicited and he/she feels most keenly alive as a citizen. Elections provide a medium for seamless succession of governments. Therefore, they form an important part of political history of the Republic of India. All elections do not make history, but they invariably make collective memory. This book is an attempt to relive that collective memory in furtherance of our tradition of democracy. A. K. Joti Election Commissioner of India