Primary election
Also called: Primaries · Topic: Political Parties, Party Systems and Anti-defection · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Political Parties"
Meaning
A primary election is a method used in the USA. A party's members and supporters vote to choose who will be the party's candidate in the main election. This gives ordinary members a say in picking candidates. In India there are no primaries, and top party leaders usually choose candidates. This is one reason people criticise Indian parties for weak internal democracy.
Example
In the USA, a party holds primaries in different states before the presidential election to decide its presidential candidate. In India, a party's central leadership simply announces its list of Lok Sabha candidates.
Don't confuse with
- General election: voters at large elect representatives to the legislature or government. A primary only decides who will be one party's candidate in that election.