The Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA) is an Act of the Parliament of India that provides the legal framework for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and the State Legislatures. It was enacted by the provisional parliament under Article 327 of the Constitution, before the first general election, to govern the actual process of elections. The Act was introduced by Law Minister Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and commenced on July 17, 1951. It complements the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which primarily deals with the preparation of electoral rolls and the delimitation of constituencies.
The RPA, 1951, works by detailing the entire electoral mechanism, from the notification of elections to the resolution of disputes. Key provisions include Sections 3–6, which lay down the qualifications for membership in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, such as minimum age and citizenship. Sections 8 and 10A specify the grounds for disqualification of candidates, including conviction for certain offenses and failure to lodge election expense accounts. Section 29A mandates the registration of political parties with the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is the autonomous constitutional body empowered by Article 324 to supervise elections. Section 123 defines various electoral malpractices, such as bribery and undue influence, as "corrupt practices".
The Act has been frequently amended to adapt to changing political landscapes. A significant change was the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 1966, which abolished the Election Tribunals and transferred the hearing of election petitions to the High Courts. However, disputes concerning the election of the President and Vice-President are still heard directly by the Supreme Court. A major judicial intervention was the Supreme Court's ruling in Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2013), which struck down Section 8(4) of the RPA, 1951, removing the three-month window for convicted legislators to appeal and allowing their immediate disqualification. Recent amendments, such as the 2010 Amendment, granted voting rights to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).