As the Indian nation gears up for its monumental elections, all eyes are on the possible contenders to take the position of the Prime Minister of India.
India's PM is always a member of the Indian parliament (MP), which consists of the lower house — Lok Sabha — and the upper house — Rajya Sabha.
Technically, the premiership is seen as the most powerful position in India. The PM represents the country on an international level, and he is responsible for the country's economic development and foreign policy.
When's Lok Sabha's Next Election?
The next Lok Sabha election is scheduled to take place between April-May 2024, as the tenure of the lower house of India's Parliament is set to end on 16 June 2024.
A total of 543 Lok Saba parliamentarians will be elected.
The first national election in India was held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952 and was won by the Indian National Congress (INC).
India's new Parliament House building
© Photo : Government of India
How is India's Prime Minister Elected?
In India, the Prime Minister is the head of government or the top executive body at the federal level, who is elected to this post for a five-year term.
The PM is appointed by the President of India, who is the head of the state and the first citizen of the nation.
The Prime Minister of India generally comes from Lok Sabha, but can also belong to the upper house, where members are not directly elected by common citizens — they get appointed through their public representatives' votes or support.
Technically, there is no procedure for a Prime Minister's appointment. However, as per Article 74(1) of the Indian Constitution, there shall be a council of ministers with a Prime Minister as the head to aid and advise the President of India.
Article 75 of the Indian Constitution mentions that a Prime Minister is one who is appointed by the President. There is no specific procedure for his election or appointment.
Who Is Eligible for Prime Minister of India?
Here is the list of criteria crucial for a parliamentarian to be able to run for the Prime Minister of India:
The candidate must be a citizen of India.
The candidate must either be a Lok Sabha (Lower House or House of the People) or the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) member.
If such a member is elected who is not a Member of Parliament (PM), in that case, the selected candidate must become a member of either the Lok Sabha (Lower House) or the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) within a period of six months.
The candidate must not hold any office of profit under the Indian government or government of any other state after being appointed Prime Minister. They must vacate any other post they hold, be it in the government or private sector. The chosen candidate can take up the post only after the completion of their term.
The candidate should not be under any criminal charges proven in any court of justice in India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves during a roadshow
© AP Photo / Rajesh Kumar Singh
Who Was India's First Prime Minister?
Currently, Narendra Modi is India's Prime Minister and serving his second term as the prime minister. He was first appointed as Prime Minister in 2014 after his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the parliamentary election with a huge margin. BJP won the federal election again in 2019.
PM Modi is now the fourth longest-serving Prime Minister in Indian history. In 2020, he became the longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister, surpassing Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Indian Prime Minister's Powers
He/she is the country's leader and the Head of the Government of India.
The PM acts as the chief advisor to the President.
The Prime Minister can assign portfolios to the Council of Ministers and the chairman of the council/cabinet ministers.
The Prime Minister presides over the cabinet's meetings and can impose his decision on any matter if there is a difference among the members.
The Prime Minister represents the country for all critical international meetings.
The Prime Minister is the head of the Nuclear Command Authority, NITI Aayog, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Space and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.