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TheUnder18World State Government Formation


1. Purpose of Government Formation

Government Formation is the official process through which the elected Under18 Legislative Assembly determines which political party or coalition has the support of the majority of MLAs and therefore has the constitutional right to form the government.

The process must be conducted in a transparent, fair, peaceful, and publicly verifiable manner so that every MLA, citizen, and stakeholder clearly understands how the government was formed.



2. People Involved


2.1 Under18 Speaker / Interim Speaker

The process shall be conducted by an Interim Speaker.

The Interim Speaker shall normally be:

  1. The previous Under18 Speaker, or

  2. A senior U18 leader (U18 alumni, U18 senior, U22, Corporate, Mentor) appointed only for this session. If from Corporate or Mentors, their identity must remain neutral and attire non-identity-revealing.

The Speaker is responsible for:

  • Conducting the entire government formation session.

  • Maintaining discipline and order.

  • Ensuring all constitutional procedures are followed.

  • Calling MLAs one by one to declare their party affiliation.

  • Announcing official stages of the process.

  • Receiving coalition declarations.

  • Certifying the final majority before inviting government formation.

The Speaker must remain politically neutral throughout the process.



2.2 Under18 IAS Officers

Under18 IAS Officers act as the official constitutional counting authority.

Their responsibilities include:

  • Recording the party affiliation declared by each MLA.

  • Verifying the identity of each MLA.

  • Maintaining official records.

  • Calculating majority requirements.

  • Recording coalition agreements.

  • Publishing the final MLA count.

  • Assisting the Speaker with procedural verification.

IAS Officers shall sit in a designated central counting area visible to all attendees.

At least two officers must independently verify every count before it is declared official.



2.3 U18 MLAs

Every elected MLA is required to participate in the Government Formation Session.

Each MLA shall:

  • Confirm their identity.

  • Publicly declare their political party.

  • Confirm support for a coalition if applicable.

  • Follow instructions issued by the Speaker.

An MLA may only be counted once.

Failure to attend without valid justification may result in constitutional review by the appropriate authority. 



2.4 Political Parties

Political parties contesting the election have the right to:

  • Present their elected MLAs.

  • Verify counting records.

  • Enter coalition discussions.

  • Submit coalition agreements.

  • Nominate leaders for government formation.



2.5 U18 Governor

The U18 Governor remains neutral during the initial counting process.

The Governor becomes involved only if:

  • No party secures a majority.

  • No coalition secures a majority within the permitted time.

  • A constitutional dispute arises regarding government formation.

The Governor acts as the constitutional guardian of the process.



3. Government Formation Session

3.1 Assembly Opening

The Speaker shall officially open the Government Formation Session.

The Speaker shall:

  • Confirm the total number of elected MLAs.

  • Explain the counting process.

  • Explain majority requirements.

  • Introduce the IAS counting team.

  • Open the declaration process.



3.2 MLA Party Declaration

The Speaker shall call each MLA individually.

When called, the MLA shall:

  1. State their name.

  2. State their constituency.

  3. State their political party.

Example:

"I am Rohan Sharma, MLA from XYZ School Constituency, representing the Future Party."

The declaration shall be immediately recorded by the U18 IAS Officers.

Representation in Exceptional Circumstances

In the event of a medical emergency or any other valid reason preventing an MLA from attending the session, a U18 IAS Officer or a U18 Citizen may represent the school constituency.

To be eligible to represent the constituency, an official video from the elected MLA must be submitted to the Assembly Secretary before the session. The video must clearly:

  1. State the MLA's name and constituency.

  2. Explain the reason for absence.

  3. Name the person authorized to represent the constituency during the Government Formation session.

Once verified by the Assembly Secretary, the representative shall be permitted to make the declaration on behalf of the constituency.




3.3 Official Counting

As declarations are made:

  • IAS Officers record each MLA.

  • Party totals are updated.

  • Duplicate entries are not permitted.

  • Corrections may only be made before final certification.

After all MLAs have declared, IAS Officers shall submit the final count to the Speaker.


4. Majority Requirement

4.1 Definition of Majority

A party requires more than 50% of the total elected MLAs to form the government independently.

Formula:

Majority > Total MLAs/2

Examples:


Total MLAs

Majority Required

100

51

120

61

150

76

165

83



A party that crosses this threshold becomes the ruling party.



4.2 Single Party Majority

If one party secures a majority:

  1. The Speaker formally announces the result.

  2. The Governor invites that party to form the government.

  3. The party begins the minister selection and government formation process.

  4. The Leader of the Majority Party, selected through the party's internal process involving its MLAs and the U18 support system, becomes the Chief Minister-designate until formally sworn into office.





5. Coalition Formation

5.1 Preferred Structure

A single party reaching the majority mark is the preferred outcome, as it generally provides a more stable government.

If no party reaches the majority mark, the first preference shall be to onboard new school constituencies, provided the maximum number of constituencies permitted in that state has not yet been reached.

For example, if Maharashtra has a maximum of 300 MLA seats and only 200 constituencies have completed elections at the time of government formation, additional schools may be onboarded and elections conducted so that parties have an opportunity to increase their strength and move towards a majority.



5.2 When Coalitions Are Allowed

Coalitions are permitted only when no single party secures a majority, even after the onboarding of new school constituencies has been completed within the prescribed period of 3 to 6 school working days.

Two parties may combine their MLA strength to form a governing majority.



5.3 Coalition Declaration

A coalition must submit:

  1. Names of the participating parties.

  2. The number of MLAs from each party.

  3. Total coalition strength.

  4. A proposed list of three Chief Minister candidates.

  5. A written coalition agreement signed by the authorized leaders of the participating parties.

The coalition agreement must be submitted to the Speaker and verified by the U18 IAS Officers.



5.4 Coalition Majority Requirement

The coalition must collectively hold more than 50% of the total elected MLAs.

Only verified coalition members shall be counted towards the coalition's strength.



6. Government Formation Extension Process


6.1 New School Onboarding Period

If no party achieves a majority during the initial count, an accelerated school onboarding period of 3 to 6 school working days shall begin.

During this period:

  1. All parties shall work together to onboard eligible new schools.

  2. Elections shall be conducted in newly onboarded schools using expedited timelines for nominations, campaigning, and voting.

  3. The objective shall be to increase representation and allow parties additional opportunities to secure a majority.

  4. A minimum of 10 new school constituencies, or all remaining constituencies up to the maximum permitted limit, must be added during this period. Failing this, an additional 2 days shall be allotted for onboarding.

During special situations such as examinations, school events, holidays, or other circumstances where a full-scale election cannot be conducted within the available time, U18 citizens from Grades 8, 9, and 11 may vote on behalf of the school constituency.

However, once normal conditions resume, the elected MLA must conduct a constituency introduction and interaction session with all eligible U18 citizens from Grade 4 and above.

The Assembly shall remain constitutionally active throughout this period.



6.2 Coalition Negotiation Period

If no party achieves a majority even after the extended school onboarding period, a coalition negotiation period of exactly 2 calendar days shall begin.

During these 2 days:

  1. Parties may negotiate alliances.

  2. MLAs may confirm coalition support through their party leadership.

  3. Coalition agreements may be drafted and submitted.

  4. U18 IAS Officers may verify coalition numbers and documentation.

The Assembly shall remain constitutionally active throughout this period.



6.3 Submission Deadline

All coalition agreements must be submitted before the conclusion of the 2-day coalition negotiation period.

Any coalition submitted after the deadline shall not be considered unless approved by the Governor under exceptional constitutional circumstances.




7. Governor Intervention

7.1 No Majority After Negotiation Period

If no party or coalition reaches a majority after the completion of the school onboarding period and coalition negotiation period, the Governor shall intervene.

The Governor may:

  1. Invite the largest party to demonstrate majority support.

  2. Facilitate coalition discussions.

  3. Request revised coalition proposals.

  4. Seek constitutional clarification from the appropriate authorities.



7.2 Final Assessment

The Governor shall determine whether:

  1. A stable government can be formed.

  2. A coalition can realistically secure majority support.

  3. Further negotiations are justified.



8. Fresh Elections

8.1 Conditions for Fresh Elections

Fresh elections may be recommended if:

  1. No party achieves a majority.

  2. No coalition achieves a majority.

  3. Coalition negotiations fail.

  4. Government formation becomes constitutionally impossible.




8.2 Recommendation Process

The Governor shall submit a formal recommendation for fresh elections in accordance with constitutional procedures.

Fresh elections shall be considered a last resort after all reasonable options for forming a government have been exhausted.



9. Official Declaration of Government

Once a majority party or coalition has been verified:

  1. The Speaker announces the official result.

  2. The U18 IAS Officers publish the final verified numbers.

  3. The Governor formally recognizes the majority.

  4. The ruling party or coalition is invited to form the government.

  5. The Chief Minister-designate begins the cabinet formation process.

  6. The Government Formation Session is officially concluded.



10. Core Constitutional Principles

The Government Formation Process shall always follow the principles of:

  • Democracy

  • Transparency

  • Accuracy

  • Neutrality

  • Constitutional Compliance

  • Peaceful Transfer of Authority

  • Respect for Majority Rule

  • Respect for Minority Representation

No government shall be recognized unless its majority has been verified through the constitutional Government Formation Process.




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