📜 Article 55 of the Constitution of India — Simple Explanation
📜 Article 55 of the Constitution of India
🔹 Clause (1): Equal Representation of States
All states should have fair and equal importance in electing the President, as much as possible.
👉 In simple words:
No state should get unfair advantage—everyone is represented fairly.
🔹 Clause (2): How Votes Are Calculated
This clause explains how much value each vote has.
👉 (a) Votes of MLAs (State Assembly Members)
Each MLA’s vote depends on the population of their state.
👉 In simple words:
- Bigger population → MLA gets more vote value
- Smaller population → MLA gets less vote value
👉 (b) Extra Vote Rule
If the leftover number after calculation is 500 or more,
👉 each MLA gets 1 extra vote
👉 In simple words:
If the calculation is close to the next number, they round it up slightly.
👉 (c) Votes of MPs (Members of Parliament)
- First, total votes of all MLAs are added
- Then divided among all MPs
👉 In simple words:
MPs get vote value in a way that keeps balance between states and the centre
🔹 Clause (3): Voting Method
The President is elected using:
- Proportional Representation
- Single Transferable Vote (STV)
- Secret ballot
👉 In simple words:
- Voters rank candidates (1st, 2nd choice, etc.)
- Voting is private and fair
🔹 Explanation: Population Used
Population means the last published census, but currently it is based on the 1971 Census.
👉 In simple words:
Old population data (1971) is still used for calculations until after 2026.
🔹 Important Note (Amendment)
Due to the 84th Amendment (2002):
- Seats in Parliament and State Assemblies are fixed till 2026
- Based on 1971 population
👉 In simple words:
Number of seats won’t change for now, to support population control.
✅ Short Summary
- President is elected by MPs and MLAs
- Vote value depends on population
- Balance is maintained between states and centre
- Voting uses STV system and secret ballot
- 1971 census data is still used (till 2026)
