The Constitution of India supplies the general provisions for the election of its political officials. Indirect and direct methods of election are used.
The Constitution provides that members of the Council of States, the President and Vice-President are indirectly elected by electoral colleges.
The Council of State (locally known as Rajya Sabha) are elected by members of the Legislative Assemblies through the single transferable vote system. The number of members is based in proportion to the population of each state.
The President is elected by members of the Vidhan Sabhas (Legislative Assemblies), Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha. Votes are cast through the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and via a secret ballot.
The Vice-President is elected by members of both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), also through proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, through a secret ballot.
On the other hand, members of the Vidhan Sabha and Loka Sabha are directly elected by qualified voters of the citizenry. Eligible voters are those who are not less than eighteen years of age, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or gender; and should not have been disqualified on the grounds of non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime or corrupt or illegal practice.
The Constitution also provided that the superintendence, direction and control of the elections is entrusted to the Election Commission.
A manual of election law is provided by the Election Commission which includes two volumes. The first volume contains extracts from the Constitution, the Acts of Parliament and Rules and Orders under the Constitution that pertains to elections. The second volume contains the Statutory Rules and Orders for the conduct of elections.
Reference
The Constitution of India
The Manual of Election Law (Election Commission)
Resources :
Constitution
PDF : Constitution 1949
PDF : Constitution (as Amended to 2007)
Election Laws
PDF : The Representation of People (Amendment) Act 2010
PDF : The Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2011
PDF : The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952
Election Commission Resolutions and Rules
PDF : Provisions of Law relating to Offences and Corrupt Practices in Connection with Elections (ECI)
Manual of Election Law Volume I
PDF : Preface
Part I
PDF : Extract from the Constitution
Part II Acts of Parliament
PDF : 1. Extracts from The Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860)
PDF : 2. The Representation of The People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950)
PDF : 3. The Representation of The people act, 1951 (Act no. 43 of 1951)
PDF : 4. Extracts from The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (37 of 1956)
PDF : 5. Extracts from The Government Of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963)
PDF : 6. Extracts from The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 (1 of 1992)
PDF : 7. The Jammu and Kashmir Representation of The People (Supplementary) Act, 1968 (3 of 1968)
PDF : 8. The Delimitation Act, 2002 (33 of 2002)
PDF : 9. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976 (108 of 1976)
PDF : 10. Extracts from The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (33 of 1989)
Part III Rules and Orders Under the Constitution
PDF : 1. Officers Before Whom Candidates May Make Or Subscribe Oath Or Affirmation
PDF : 2. The Prohibition Of Simultaneous Membership Rules, 1950
PDF : 3. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950
PDF : 4. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) 2 (union territories) Order 1951
PDF : 5. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order, 1956
PDF : 6. The Constitution (Dadra and nagar Haveli) Scheduled Castes Order, 1962
PDF : 7. The Constitution (Pondicherry) Scheduled Castes Order, 1964
PDF : 8. The Constitution (Sikkim) Scheduled Castes Order, 1978
PDF : 9. The Constitution (Scheduled tribes) Order, 1950
PDF : 10. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Union Territories) Order, 1951
PDF : 11. The Constitution (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1959
PDF : 12. The Constitution (Dadra and Nagar Haveli) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1962
PDF : 13. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967
PDF : 14. The Constitution (Nagaland) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1970
PDF : 15. The Constitution (Sikkim) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1978
PDF : 16. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989
Part IV Law Relating to Removing Disqualification
PDF : 1. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 (10 of 1959)
PDF : 2. Contents: Acts of The State Legislatures Relating to Removal of Disqualifications
PDF : 2.1 The Andhra Pradesh Payment of Salaries and Pension and Removal of Disqualifications Act, 1953
PDF : 2.2 The Arunachal Pradesh Legislature Members (Prevention of Disqualifications) Act, 1977
PDF : 2.3 The Assam State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1950
PDF : 2.4 The Bihar Legislature (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1950
PDF : 2.5 The Goa, Daman and Diu Members of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1982
PDF : 2.6 The Gujarat Legislative Assembly Members (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1960
PDF : 2.7 The Haryana State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualifications) Act, 1974
PDF : 2.8 The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Members (Removal Of Disqualifications), Act, 1971
PDF : 2.9 The Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1962
PDF : 2.10 The Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1956
PDF : 2.11 The Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1951
PDF : 2.12 The Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Act. 1979
PDF : 2.13 The Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Mandal Sadasya Nirharta Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1967
PDF : 2.14 The Maharashtra Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1956
PDF : 2.15 The Manipur Legislature (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1972
PDF : 2.16 The Prevention Of Disqualification (Members of The Legislative Assembly of (Meghalaya) Act, 1972
PDF : 2.17 The Mizoram Union Territory Legislature Members’ Removal of Disqualifications Act, 1975
PDF : 2.18 The Nagaland State Legislature Members (Removal Of Disqualification) Act, 1964
PDF : 2.19 The Orissa Offices Of Profit (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1951
PDF : 2.20 The Parliamentary Secretary (Payment of Special Allowance And Prevention Of Disqualification) Act, 1971
PDF : 2.21 The Pondicherry Members Of The Legislative Assembly (Prevention Of Disqualification) Act, 1994
PDF : 2.22 The Punjab State Legislature (Prevention Of Disqualification) Act, 1952
PDF : 2.23 The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1956
PDF : 2.24 The Sikkim Legislative Assembly Members (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1978
PDF : 2.25 The Tamil Nadu Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1967
PDF : 2.26 The Tripura State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1972
PDF : 2. 27 The Uttar Pradesh State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1971
PDF : 2.28 The West Bengal Legislature (Removal of Disqualifications) Act, 1952
Manual of Election Law Volume II
Part I Statutory Rules and Order
PDF : 1. The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
PDF : 2. The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961
PDF : 3. Application of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 to the State of Sikkim
PDF : 4. The Conduct of Parliamentary Elections (Sikkim) Rules, 1977
PDF : 5. The Conduct of Assembly Elections (Sikkim) Rules, 1979
PDF : 6. The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
PDF : 7. Lists of political parties and symbols in relation to elections in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies other than assembly constituencies in the State of Jammu and Kashmir–These lists are being published separately by the Election Commission.
PDF : 8. List of symbols in relation to elections in an assembly, local authorities’ or panchayats’ constituencies in the State of Jammu and Kashmir –The list is being published separately by the Election Commission.
Part II Statutory Orders
1. The Delimitation of Council Constituencies Orders
PDF : 1.1 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies (Andhra Pradesh) Order, 2006
PDF : 1.2 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies (Bihar) Order, 1951
PDF : 1.3 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies (Madhya Pradesh) Order, 1957
PDF : 1.4 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies 2 (Maharashtra) Order, 1951
PDF : 1.5 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies 2 (Karnataka) Order, 1951
PDF : 1.6 The Delimitation of Council Constituencies (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1951
PDF : 2. Authorities specified under section 8A to accept petitions about corrupt practices
PDF : 3. Officers before whom a candidate for election to fill a seat in the Legislative Assembly of a Union territory shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation
PDF : 4. Officers before whom a candidate for election to fill a seat in the Metropolitan Council of Delhi shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation
Compendium of Instruction on Election Expenditure Monitoring
PDF : Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring (January, 2015) -Delhi
PDF : Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring (October, 2014)- Jharkhand
PDF : Compendium of Instructions on Election Expenditure Monitoring (October, 2014)- Jammu and Kashmir