With reference to the Indian electoral system and parliamentary conventions, consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution of India explicitly mandates that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha must belong to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker to the main opposition party.
2. A candidate contesting the Lok Sabha election must secure more than 50% of the total valid votes cast in the constituency to be declared elected.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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There is no constitutional provision regarding the party affiliation of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The practice of the Speaker being from the majority party and the Deputy Speaker from the opposition is an established parliamentary convention, not a constitutional mandate. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect. The election of Lok Sabha members follows the 'First Past the Post' system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes is declared elected, with no requirement to secure more than 50% of the total votes. Thus, statement 2 is incorrect.

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