Page 211 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Electing the President and Vice President Chapter 8

Section 17 of Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections
Act 1952 allows every elector as many preferences as there
are candidates. No ballot paper would be deemed invalid
solely because all preferences are not marked. However, it
is important to mark the first preference, in absence of
which ones vote would be invalid. Other preferences,
which are optional, could be marked as No.2, 3, 4, 5 etc.,
against the names of other candidates in order of individual
elector choice. This manner of recording the votes does not
render itself fit for the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines).
This explains why voting in Presidential and Vice
Presidential elections is still done with ballot papers.
Under Article 71 of the Constitution, all doubts and
disputes arising out of or in connection with election to
the posts of President and Vice President are decided by
Dr. Zakir Husain's swearing-in ceremony as the President of India on
the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India whose decision is
May 13, 1967. He was previously India's second Vice President since
final and binding in the matter.
May 13, 1962.
The first Presidential and Vice Presidential elections were
held in 1952. Since the terms of the President (Article 56)
and Vice President (Article 67) are for five years, both the
elections are quinquennial affairs. In all, they have been
conducted sixteen times since Independence. While Dr.
Rajendra Prasad had won Presidential elections more than
once (1952, 1957), two serving Presidents of India viz. Dr.
Zakir Husain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed died in harness
without completing their normal tenures. Two Vice
Presidents of India viz. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and
Mohammed Hamid Ansari had occupied the position of
Vice President twice for full term. On the other hand, two
Vice Presidents viz. V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman resigned
from their positions prematurely to successfully contest
the Presidential elections. Six Vice Presidents, in all, went
on to become Presidents. They are Dr. Sarvepalli
Arrangements for the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Husain, V.V. Giri, R Venkataraman,
at the Parliament House on May 5, 1967 Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, and K.R. Narayanan.

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