The main features of the procedure for nomination of candidates for elections in India are as given below:
(i) In India anyone who is a voter can contest election provided he has attained the age of 25 years. Criminals and persons with unsound mind can, however, be debarred from contesting elections.
(ii) Political parties nominate their candidates who get the party symbol and support.
(iii) Candidates who are contesting elections, have to fill a ‘nomination form’ and give some money as ‘security deposit’.
(iv) Now, as per direction of the Supreme Court, every candidate has to make a legal declaration giving following information which should be made public:
(a) Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate.
(b) Details of the assets and liabilities of the candidate and his or her family.
(c) Educational qualifications of the candidate.
This information is made public so that the voters may make their decision on the basis of the information provided by the candidates. It may also be mentioned that there is no educational qualification for candidates seeking election because that would go against the spirit of democracy as it would deprive majority of the country’s citizens the right to contest election due to illiteracy in the country. For example if a graduate degree was compulsory for candidates, more than 90 per cent of citizens wilt become ineligible to contest elections.

(a) Political competition means competition among political parties at the time of elections. At the constituency level, there is competition among several candidates. The competition makes the elections interesting and useful.
(b) Merits : It is good to have political competition on the following grounds:
(i) Political competition enables the people to reward political leaders for serving them and to punish for not doing so.
(ii) Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders because if they raise issues of public interest, their chances of victory increase in the next elections” But if they are not able to satisfy the voters with their work, they will loose in the next elections.
Demerits : Political competition has following disadvantages or demerits:
(i) It creates a sense of disunity and factionalism in every locality. People get divided on the basis of their loyalty towards a political part.
(ii) Different political parties and leaders start leveling allegations against each other.
(iii) Dirty tricks are used by the candidates and parties to win elections.
(iv) Sometimes the pressure to win elections does not allow sensible long-term policies to be formulated.
(v) Eminent people such as scientists, educationists do not join politics due to political competition. They do not like this unhealthy competition.
But in spite of these disadvantages or demerits, the system of free political competition works better in the long run because political leaders too want, to advance their careers. they can do so only by serving the people. Thus, the political competition forces the leaders to serve the people and win their support.