The person running to be a Chief Minister, Prime Minister, MLA or MP they should also have minimum bachelor's degree and sit and pay for competitive exams, interviews like civil servants

So people have to go through grueling process and have to sit for kind of the the one of the hardest exams of the world to become doctor, engineer, professor, accountants, or work in good MNC, civil servants of this country but a leader assigned to lead a country is chosen on popularity rather than tested merit ? It's a demanding job requiring best of the best eligibility to do so, right ?