Election FAQs: What are reserved constituencies?

Mizoram goes to polls on November 7, the day when Chhattisgarh will see phase one of its polling process for the Assembly elections, results for which will be declared on December 3. Apart from that the second phase of Chhattisgarh polling is on Nov 17 as is polling for Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan and Telangana go to polls on Nov 25 and 30 respectively.

As in every state, both Chhattisgarh and Mizoram have reserved constituencies. Before the states head to polls, here is a look at what reserved constituencies are and why they are important.

A reserved constituency is one where seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Seats are reserved for weaker segments of society based on the population size in reserved constituencies.

The need of reserved constituencies arise due to people who come from weaker sections of society. These include those from SCs and STs, who might not have the contacts, resources, or education to win an election against a general candidate. This move is meant to even out the playing field and give these otherwise marginalised individuals a chance to directly contest polls and participate in the politics of the country.

In Mizoram, most of the constituencies are ST reserved, while in Chhattisgarh an overwhelming number of seats are reserved for SCs or STs.