Essays

"Though Election Reforms are must for the survival of our of democracy, yet it is the awareness among public to vote in favour of sincere, dedicated and honest political leader that can put a check on all evils of the system.

" The election process in our country is the progenitor of political corruption. Politicians today have mono aim to capture power by hook or by crook with no consideration for moral or ethical values. The erstwhile Chief Election Commissioner, T.N. Sheshan considers the election process to be the root cause of corruption and the corrupt influences in our political system. In his peculiar style, he end devoured to the best of his capacity to purge the electoral system of the baneful influences of money power, muscle power, politicians' dominancy and bureaucratic favoritism. In the history of Indian democracy it was Mr. T.N. Sheshan who took the cudgels alone to fight the hitherto unchallengeable politicians, and shown them the authority of the office of the Election Commission. The indefatigable Sheshan, made it crystal clear that unless the political system from top to bottom was freed from the evil of corruption, there could be no permanent solution of this cancerous evil. Mr. Sheshan has shown the path leaving the unfinished task in the hands of his successors like Mr. M.S. Gill. Mr. J.M. Lyngdoh, and Mr. T.S. Krishnamurthy, everyone of these stalwarts of bureaucracy did their best to purge the system of electioneering in the Indian democratic setup. The task of Mr. Krishnamurthy has not finished yet.

In the path of reform in election process the judgment of Supreme Court delivered on 13th March, 2003, has a far reaching positive and resultant impact. With this judgment, it has become mandatory for candidates to declare their criminal antecedents, wealth, educational qualifications etc. A three judge bench said "A voter has a fundamental rig/it to know the antecedents of a candidate and this right was independent of the statutory right under the election law". The judges declared that a voter is first a citizen of this country and apart from statutory rights, he is having fundamental right conferred by Constitution. A member of the Bench, Mr. Justice M.B. Shah observed that the "right to vote would be meaningless unless citizens me well informed about the antecedents of a candidate". The judge said that exposure to public gaze and scrutiny was one of the surest means to change our democratic governing system and have a competent legislature. Mr. Justice Dhannadhikari observed that an improved electoral system was required to make the election process transparent and accountable so I fiat the influence of tainted money and physical force of criminals did not make democracy a farce.

 Fair and free election is the necessity of democracy, wherein every representative Of people whether MLA or MP has to observe the law of nation in true spirit. It is no secret that money and muscle power play a very crucial role in the elections and whosoever can make more investment in terms of money and muscle power has better chance of winning. Politics has become a most lucrative business in which one time investment of money and muscle power, can generate revenue sufficient for many generations. Today politicians have but one aim to clinch the power by any means fair or unfair.

As part of the election reforms, the present Union Government has taken initiative by hiking the ceiling of election expenditure on Oct. 21,2003, for the Lok Sabha from Rs.15 lakhs to Rs. 25 lakhs per constituency. In case of Assembly Constituency, the limit increased to Rs. 10 lakhs with adjustments in the case of smaller States. The last revision of the expenditure was done in 1997 and the Election Commission in its meeting in July 2003. suggested to revise the ceiling as the value of rupees has declined considerably. But it is again paradoxical that everyone including the election commission know that the ceiling of expenditure fixed, is just enough to cover up the small proportion of the actual expenses, but the election commission has no way to check the actual expenditure done by the politicians. A suggestion was also made earlier that the election expenses be funded by the government to check the misuse of black money in the elections but due to lack of ‘Will’ on the part of political leaders its implementation was not taken sincerely.

A very crucial milestone achieved by the present government in the process of election reforms was the ninety seventh amendment in the Constitution which disqualifies all elected legislators who violate party whip irrespective of the size of defecting faction. The earlier provision recognized a split of one-third of the membership a valid detection, now this provision has been repealed. The scourge of defection has literally scarred the face of Indian democracy, the most blight full outcome has seen to negate the verdict of the people, as defecting legislators scamper across parties with abandon in search of greener pastures ignoring the party on which they were elected. The gross political corruption was mostly accompanied by lucrative horse trading by our well reverend political leaders, keeping away all moral and ethical syndrome. So shocking have become such defection process that Lok Sabha had no difficulty in unanimously passing the 97th Constitution Amendment Bill. It is hoped that this amendment that will stop the prevailing sordid practice defections by the political leaders. Some raised a point against this amendment this law will shut out the inner party dissent and may bring about utter bossism in the party system. The bill has also limited the number of Ministers that could not be more than 15% of the strength of legislatures. The provision will check those ambitious self centred politicians who detects from the original party to gain the Ministerial in the government. There was no limit earlier, though guidelines of the administrative Reforms Committee had placed the norm at 10 %. This provision will also have a check on extravagant expenditure on Ministers at the cost of the innocent public through taxation. It is known to all that in the state of U.P, under the Chief Minister of Mr. Mulayam SinghYadav every third MLA was given the charge of one or other ministry to keep them loyal to the party in power.  

The Election Commission exercises full discretionary and disciplinary power during the election period. It was with the efforts of election commission that consensus among the political parties was build up on the lamentation of modal code of conduct. The election commission has accomplished a vital task of introduction of photo identity or every voters in the country. The identity cards not only eliminate the evil of impersonation but also useful in various fields. The Commission has made it mandatory for voters to identify themselves either by the voters' identity cards or any other authorized document. The introduction of electronic voting machines is also a step forward in election reforms which make the booth capturing almost impossible unless the presiding officer and other staff do not support them fully.

The elections to the Lok Sabha were scheduled to be held in the month of May, 2004, the Election Commission had taken very important steps of banning the vengeful advertisement or unethical advertisement on television. The instruction of the Election Commissioner to remove the posters and boards displayed at the State expenses, is a step in right direction.

 With all the above reforms it is still to be seen how successful could be our political system to fight the evil of corruption in our democratic setup. The use of money and muscle power in elections cannot be set aside by these reforms. More stnngent rules are required and more powers are necessary to be given to the Election Commission.

 To fight the devil of corruption a strong will power, determined efforts and a dedicated approach is required from the political leaders. If ethics and morality is expected from the political leaders, the voting to a fair and honest leaders is expected from the general public without making any consideration to caste, creed or other affiliation of the candidate.

In democracy the public is the most powerful entity. If the public do not vote in favour of criminals,  is honest and corrupt politicians who wish to purchase their votes by money or muscle powers, every things shall function nicely and the democracy will shine in this dark spectrum of hitherto corrupt and criminalized political system.

 Vocabulary

I. Reforms—reformation, betterment, amelioration, 2. progenitor—forebear, begetter. ancestor. 3. ethical—humane, moral, upright. 4. erstwhile—former, past, recent. 5, peculiar—strange, wonderful, singular. 6. endeavored—set in motion, begun, launched. 7. purge—abstersion, clarification, expurgation. 8. baneful—fatal, lethal, murderous, mortal. 9. dominancy—a dominating, or being dominant; control; authority. 10. cudgels—stick, bat. bludgeon. 11. indefatigable—inexhaustible, unwearied. 12. stalwarts—sturdy, robust, vigorous. 13. mandatory—compulsory, forced, obligatory. 14. gaze—stare, eye, contemplate, gape. 15. scrutiny—analysis, investigation, inspection. 16. reverend—revered, respected, venerated. 17. stringent—acrimonious, rigorous.