Consider the following statements:
1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from three constituencies.
2. In 1991 Lok Sabha Election, Shri Devi Lal contested from three Lok Sabha constituencies.
3. As per the existing rules, if a candidate contests in one Lok Sabha election from many constituencies, his/her party should bear the cost of bye-elections to the constituencies vacated by him/her in the event of his/her winning in all the constituencies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Official Key Status: UPSC dropped this question from final scoring due to phrasing ambiguities, but as per statutory facts, Statement 2 is correct while Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect.
– Statement 1 is incorrect: In 1996, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 was amended by introducing Section 33(7), which legally restricts a candidate from contesting any general election from more than two constituencies.
– Statement 2 is correct: Prior to the 1996 restriction, candidates could contest multiple parliamentary seats. In the 1991 Lok Sabha general election, former Deputy Prime Minister Shri Devi Lal contested from three separate Lok Sabha constituencies (Sikar, Rohtak, and Ferozepur).
– Statement 3 is incorrect: Under existing election laws, political parties do not fund bye-elections. All expenditures associated with conducting general elections and subsequent parliamentary bye-elections are borne by the public exchequer via the Election Commission of India.
Hence, factually only statement 2 is correct — Option B.