The Representation of the People Act, 1951 – All Sections

An Act to provide for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections.

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 has 205 sections in 13 parts, amended 63 times. Each link below opens the official text of that section. Official PDF on India Code.

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 PDF

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Official copy of the Act from India Code (Legislative Department, Government of India).

All sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

Part I: PRELIMINARY

Section 1 – Short title
Section 2 – Interpretation

Part II: PART II

Section 3 – Qualification for membership of the Council of States
Section 4 – Qualifications for membership of the House of the People
Section 5 – Qualifications for membership of a Legislative Assembly
Section 5A – Qualifications for membership of Legislative Assembly of Sikkim
Section 6 – Qualifications for membership of a Legislative Council
Section 7 – Definitions
Section 8 – Disqualification on conviction for certain offences
Section 8A – Disqualification on ground of corrupt practices
Section 9 – Disqualification for dismissal for corruption or disloyalty
Section 9A – Disqualification for Government contracts, etc
Section 10 – Disqualification for office under Government company
Section 10A – Disqualification for failure to lodge account of election expenses
Section 11 – Removal or reduction of period of disqualification
Section 11A – Disqualification arising out of conviction and corrupt practices
Section 11B – Removal of disqualifications

Part III: NOTIFICATION OF GENERAL ELECTIONS

Section 12 – Notification for biennial election to the Council of States
Section 12A – Notification for election to fill the seat allotted to the State of Sikkim in the Council of States
Section 13 – [Omitted]
Section 14 – Notification for general election to the House of the People
Section 14A – Notification for electing the representative of the State of Sikkim to the existing House of the People
Section 15 – Notification for general election to a State Legislative Assembly
Section 15A – Notification for certain elections to Legislative Councils
Section 16 – Notification for biennial election to a State Legislative Council

Part IV: ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS

Section 19 – Definition
Section 19A – Delegation of functions of Election Commission
Section 20 – General duties of chief electoral officers
Section 20A – General duties of district election officer
Section 20B – Observers
Section 21 – Returning officers
Section 22 – Assistant returning officers
Section 23 – Returning officer to include assistant returning officers performing the functions of the returning officer
Section 24 – General duty of the returning officer
Section 25 – Provision of polling stations for constituencies
Section 26 – Appointment of presiding officers for polling stations
Section 27 – General duty of the presiding officer
Section 28 – Duties of a polling officer
Section 28A – Returning officer, presiding officer, etc., deemed to be on deputation to Election Commission
Section 29 – Special provisions in the case of certain elections

Part V: PART V

Section 30 – Appointment of dates for nominations, etc
Section 31 – Public notice of election
Section 32 – Nomination of candidates for election
Section 33 – Presentation of nomination paper and requirement for a valid nomination
Section 33A – Right to information
Section 33B – Candidate to furnish information only under the Act and the rules
Section 34 – Deposits
Section 35 – Notice of nominations and the time and place for their scrutiny
Section 36 – Scrutiny of nominations
Section 37 – Withdrawal of candidature
Section 38 – Publication of list of contesting candidates
Section 39 – Nomination of candidates at other elections
Section 39A – Allocation of equitable sharing of time
Section 40 – Election agents
Section 41 – Disqualification for being an election agent
Section 42 – Revocation of the appointment, or death, of an election agent
Section 43 – Effect of default in appointment of election agent under section 42 (omitted/repealed)
Section 44 – [Omitted] (omitted/repealed)
Section 45 – Functions of election agents
Section 46 – Appointment of polling agents
Section 47 – Appointment of counting agents
Section 48 – Revocation of the appointment, or death of a polling agent or counting agent
Section 49 – Functions of polling agents and counting agents
Section 50 – Attendance of a contesting candidate or his election agent at polling stations, and performance by him of the functions of a polling agent or counting agent
Section 51 – Non-attendance of polling or counting agents
Section 52 – Death of a candidate of recognised political party before poll
Section 53 – Procedure in contested and uncontested elections
Section 54 – [Omitted]
Section 55 – Eligibility of members of Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes to hold seats not reserved for those castes or tribes
Section 55A – [Omitted]
Section 56 – Fixing time for poll
Section 57 – Adjournment of poll in emergencies
Section 58 – Fresh poll in the case of destruction, etc., of ballot boxes
Section 58A – Adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of booth capturing
Section 59 – Manner of voting at elections
Section 60 – Special procedure for voting by certain classes of persons
Section 61 – Special procedure for preventing personation of electors
Section 61A – Voting machines at elections
Section 62 – Right to vote
Section 63 – Method of voting (omitted/repealed)
Section 64 – Counting of votes
Section 64A – Destruction, loss, etc., of ballot papers at the time of counting
Section 65 – Equality of votes
Section 66 – Declaration of results
Section 67 – Report of the result
Section 67A – Date of election of candidate
Section 68 – Vacation of seats when elected to both Houses of Parliament
Section 69 – Vacation of seats by persons already members of one House on election to other House of Parliament
Section 70 – Election to more than one seat in either House of Parliament or in the House or either House of the Legislature of a State
Section 71 – Publication of results of elections to the Council of States and of names of persons nominated by the President
Section 72 – [Omitted]
Section 73 – Publication of results of general elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies and of names of persons nominated thereto
Section 73A – Special provisions as to certain elections
Section 74 – Publication of results of elections to the State Legislative Councils and of names of persons nominated to such Councils
Section 75A – Declaration of assets and liabilities (omitted/repealed)
Section 76 – Application of Chapter (omitted/repealed)
Section 77 – Account of election expenses and maximum thereof
Section 78 – Lodging of account with the district election officer

Part VI: PART VI

Section 79 – Definitions
Section 80 – Election petitions
Section 80A – High Court to try election petitions
Section 81 – Presentation of petitions
Section 82 – Parties to the petition
Section 83 – Contents of petition
Section 84 – Relief that may be claimed by the petitioner
Section 85 – Procedure on receiving petition (omitted/repealed)
Section 86 – Trial of election petitions
Section 87 – Procedure before the High Court
Section 93 – Documentary evidence
Section 94 – Secrecy of voting not to be infringed
Section 95 – Answering of criminating questions and certificate of indemnity
Section 96 – Expenses of witnesses
Section 97 – Recrimination when seat claimed
Section 98 – Decision of the High Court
Section 99 – Other orders to be made by the High Court
Section 100 – Grounds for declaring election to be void
Section 101 – Grounds for which a candidate other than the returned candidate may be declared to have been elected
Section 102 – Procedure in case of an equality of votes
Section 103 – Communication of orders of the High Court
Section 104 – Difference of opinion among the members of the Tribunal (omitted/repealed)
Section 105 – Orders of the Tribunal to be final and conclusive (omitted/repealed)
Section 106 – Transmission of order to the appropriate authority, etc., and its publication
Section 107 – Effect of orders of the High Court
Section 108 – Withdrawal of petitions before appointment of Tribunal (omitted/repealed)
Section 109 – Withdrawal of election petitions
Section 110 – Procedure for withdrawal of election petitions
Section 111 – Report of withdrawal by the High Court to the Election Commission
Section 112 – Abatement of election petitions
Section 116 – Abatement or substitution on death of respondent
Section 116A – Appeals to Supreme Court
Section 116B – Stay of operation of order of High Court
Section 116C – Procedure in appeal
Section 117 – Security for costs
Section 118 – Security for costs from a respondent
Section 119 – Costs
Section 121 – Payment of costs out of security deposits and return of such deposits
Section 122 – Execution of orders as to costs

Part VII: PART VII

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 – All Sections

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 PDF

All sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

Part I: PRELIMINARY

Part II: PART II

Part III: NOTIFICATION OF GENERAL ELECTIONS

Part IV: ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS

Part V: PART V

Part VI: PART VI

Part VII: PART VII

Part VIII: PART VIII

Part IX: BYE-ELECTIONS

Part X: MISCELLANEOUS

Part XI: GENERAL

Part IVA: REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES

Part VA: FREE SUPPLY OF CERTAIN MATERIAL TO CANDIDATES OF RECOGNISED POLITICAL PARTIES

The Representation of the People Act, 1951 PDF

All sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951

Part I: PRELIMINARY

Part II: PART II

Part III: NOTIFICATION OF GENERAL ELECTIONS

Part IV: ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS

Part V: PART V

Part VI: PART VI

Part VII: PART VII

Part VIII: PART VIII

Part IX: BYE-ELECTIONS

Part X: MISCELLANEOUS

Part XI: GENERAL

Part IVA: REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES

Part VA: FREE SUPPLY OF CERTAIN MATERIAL TO CANDIDATES OF RECOGNISED POLITICAL PARTIES

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