What do you understand by the principle of “one man one vote and one vote one value”?

Civil Services Main Examination

General Studies (Paper - 2) : Model Question & Answers


Nelson MandelaQuestion: What do you understand by the principle of “one man one vote and one vote one value”? How the Constitution of India seeks to protect the above principle?

Answer: Any modern democratic polity is based on the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value. It is in demand of this principle only Nelson Mandela organised his political agitation against the apartheid in South Africa. The Constitution under the principles of Universal Suffrage given under Article 325 and Adult Suffrage given under Article 326 endorses the principle of one man one vote. Part III of the Constitution guaranteeing political rights to individuals flows from the philosophy underlying this principle. Further the Constitution providing for periodic delimitation of territorial constituencies of the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies ensures that the constituencies are properly represented in the legislatures thereby ensuring ‘one vote one value’ principle for all the voters.

This principle helps to ensure that all citizens have equal say in the election of the government and also confers legitimacy on the government that is elected. This also means that the government represents all the voters in the country. This principle can be effectively practiced by a nation only if the citizens are delivered out of want and hunger so that the right to vote is enjoyed by the citizens fully and meaningfully.

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