Question

Why is the Prime Minister in India not directly elected by the people?

(a) In a parliamentary democracy, only the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha can become the Prime Minister.

(b) Lok Sabha can remove the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers even before the expiry of their term.

(c) Since the Prime Minister is appointed by the President there is no need for it.

(d) Direct election of the Prime Minister will involve lot of expenditure on election.

Answer 1

The most appropriate answer is option ‘(a)’.

In a Parliamentary democracy only the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha can become the Prime Minister. This is to ensure that the Prime Minister secures a majority support. This prevents him/her from being either a puppet or a dictator since he/she has to function along with a council of ministers.