Assembly
elections were conducted in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the union
home of Puducherry in 2021, as Covid-19 was commencing its smart onslaught on
the country. This not only drew national and international criticism but also
made us question the electoral process.
Right
from speeches and rallies to post-election violence, the process seemed to be
paralyzed. However, India has been grappling with such challenges since the
1950s.
ECI engagement, political criminality, and the use of plutocrat-backed muscular force have all been identified as serious difficulties in popular functioning.
Undemocratic rudiments such as political criminality, violence, and the use of plutocrat power in decision-making were documented between 2004 and 2009.
Role of the Election Commission
The Election Commission acts independently and has played a major role in preserving the trust of citizens in the electoral process. It has proved to be the epitome of management, regulation and conduction. But in recent decades its role as an efficient and impartial body has been subjected to greater scrutiny.
In the beginning, the relation between the ECI and the government was of cooperation but the decade of the 90s marked an era of stringent relations, though after that it remained vigilant in the 2014 and 2019 elections its role became a debatable topic again.
Criminalization of politics
India has not been able to achieve ideal representation not just because caste, class, and gender are not appropriately represented, but also because persons with criminal histories are appointed to positions of power.
Corruption,
vote bank politics and political control of police, booth-capturing, employing
goons etc. are the manifestations of criminalization. This affects effective
governance and smashes the trust of citizens in a democracy.
For reducing the number of tainted candidates, operation standards have been established and the people who have committed crimes have been sanctioned. Affidavits of candidates are also available on the internet.
Even after all these majors have been taken there is a small impact created. As statistics notify, members in Lok Sabha against whom cases have been filed went up to 34% in 2014 parliament and 43% in the 2019 elected Parliament.
Election finance/ money power
Another loophole is the use of ‘money power’. It deals with corruption and black money. Due to the rise in political competition and bribing of votes, candidates spend heavily on campaigns the fund comes from undocumented sources.
The Election and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2003 also made it mandatory to reveal the political contributions above 20,000 INR.
Because of the state's interventionist nature, it appears that moving out of the corruption cycle is accompanied by some provocation. Democratization, licenses and many others have contributed to increasing extortion. The expenditure is restricted to 40 lakhs yet is often calculated in crores.
Electoral reforms
Electoral reforms are constructive policies that will widen the essential meaning of a republic, make choices more representative and citizen-friendly, and correct malpractices that have stressed the system.
Throughout
all these decades there have been many reforms made, the major ones are:
1. Use of electronic voting machine: When the system of ballot paper was used till 2003, there were several cases of vote-rigging, forged voting registered which improved the chances of winning of a particular candidate but since 2003 the electronic voting machines have been used to register the votes in all national and state elections.
The use of EVMs in India improves the procedures in electoral management. Thus, the invention of EVMs is revolutionary.
2. Prohibition on Liquor sale: The ban on liquor and any intoxicating substance around the vicinity of the polling booths before 48 hours is mandatory until the end of polls.
The violation of it can result in imprisonment for 6 months or levying of a fine of up to 2000 INR. This will prevent buying of votes and pleasing the labour class or the uneducated.
3. Ban on exit-polls surveys: Exit-pates checks are prohibited because they dissect the selector's decision, which causes significant disruption and is prohibited to avoid confusion and violence. It's a crime that can be prosecuted.
4. Expenditure on elections: Since elections became highly expensive due to large investment in campaigning etc. The amount spent has been restricted to 40 lakhs in bigger states and varies from 8-16 lakhs for UTs and other states.
Proposed reforms
Appointment of Chief Election Commission
The election commission is a three-member body whose members are elected by the President on the advice of the cabinet, according to Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.
The
process has pitfalls when it comes to practicality. It is an independent body
but due to political interference, it ceases to lose its independence.
As a result, it is urged that changes to the appointment method be made, such as the creation of an independent body/collegium to elect them rather than the President.
Model Code of Conduct
The MCC are guidelines that candidates and political parties must follow as the election process unfolds, including the delivery of speeches, manifestos, and polls.
It
wasn't strictly implemented until 1990, but T.N. Seshan enforced them
vigorously because violence and fraud were on the rise as competition grew.
But very often political parties tend to disrespect and violate it. The MCC is a moral code and not electoral law. There is a debate about whether it should be converted into a law.
Proportional system v/s FPTP System
The First Past the Post System is practised as a form of elections in India which means that the number of votes secured isn’t proportional to the number of seats secured.
The one getting the highest number of votes gets the seat. It is devaluing democracy and sometimes bars a good candidate to come to power. The FPTP system has failed to represent marginalized groups.
In contrast to this, the Proportional representation system is better in terms of expressing people’s opinions. It is thus suggested the system of elections should be changed to either a PR system or the hybrid system.
Paid media, mobilization using religious symbols, casteism etc. should also be eradicated to achieve transparency.
The narrative in which the MCC has been neglected has been worsened by the 2019 decisions. Hundreds of millions of rupees have been spent on options, paid media has been utilised to influence the EC's work, and the outcome has favoured the EC.
With
two consecutive regimes of the dominant party, the partisanship of the EC has
been curtailed.
All of these reforms attempt to (a) cleanse the electoral system (b) to make the Election Commission strong and (c) to make the electoral system more efficient.
Active citizenry and fair trials by the judiciary are needed to combat these difficulties. Strictness must also be observed during the implementation of the reforms.
For the world's biggest republic to rise to the top, there is still a gap between what has been stated and what has been done.
Written By - Disha Jain
0 Comments