What is the essence of democracy?

The basic essence of democracy is a free and fair election,. This includes the following points:

a. The people must be given a variety of choice in the form of candidates to choose from.

b. Each candidate must give a detailed explanation regarding why the people must vote for them. They must provide their agenda, programs, and policies to be implemented, etc.

c. The people must choose their leader with complete disregard to their relgiion, gender, caste, etc.

d. The voting process must also be transparent and should not involve any kind of malpractice.