NEED FOR RAISING THE VOICE FOR SWEEPING ELECTORAL AND POLITICAL REFORMS IN OUR COUNTRY INDIA

Dear Sir,

State assembly and parliamentary elections are imminent, but our fear is that, we are
getting, again and again, a hung parliament or state assembly. Last many elections are witness to this phenomenon. One of the main reason, for such an unwarranted result, is that, our country is a multi party democracy and no single party is in a position to get an absolute majority. One should not expect also. In such a scenario, time has come that we should look for reforms in our electoral process.

THE COUNTRY NEED’S AN URGENT POLITICAL REFORM, WHERE THERE SHOULD BE NO PLACE FOR A THIRD OR FOURTH FRONT, TO AVOID, A HUNG PARLIAMENT AND IT’S OUTCOME IN THE FORM OF INSTABILITY AND HORSE TRADING TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. A CLEAR VERDICT MUST COME FROM ELECTORATE, THE COMMON MAN.

THE PROPOSED ELECTION PROCESS MAY REQUIRE SOME POSITIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN THIS DIRECTION. OUR FUTURE ELECTIONS MUST BE CONTESTED ON THE BASIS OF ALLIANCES ONLY, SUCH AS UPA AND NDA (YOU CAN GIVE ANY TWO NAMES OF ALLIANCES). PUBLIC WILL CHOOSE ONE FOR RULING AND THE OTHER ONE FOR OPPOSITION. THERE WILL BE NO PLACE FOR INDEPENDENTS AND THIRD OR FOURTH FRONTS. THEY SHOULD COME THROUGH ONE OF THE TWO ALLIANCES.

THIS PRESENT POLITICAL PROCESS HAS ALIENIATED THE MASSES FROM THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTION PROCESS. RESULTANTLY, MOST OF US PREFER TO SIT AT HOME AND WATCH T.V. RATHER THAN GO AND EXERCISE OUR VOTE ON AN ELECTION DAY. IT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MALAISE AND CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC LIFE.

IN THE PROPOSED REFORMS, THE PARLIAMENT OR STATE ASSEMBLY CAN HAVE ONLY TWO FORMATIONS, THE RULING PARTY AND THE OPPOSITION PARTY. THERE CANNOT BE A THIRD OR FOURTH POLITICAL GROUP OR ALLIANCE. THUS THERE WILL BE EITHER RULING OR A OPPOSITION ALLIANCE. THIS CONCEPT HAS TO BE THOROUGHLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE COMMON MN, THE MASSES, THE PUBLIC AND THE VOTERS.

ON THE DAY OF ELECTION FOR PARLIAMENT OR STATE ASSEMBLY, MASSES MUST BE OFFERED, ONLY TWO CONTESTING CANDIDATES, AND THE BETTER ONE TO BE ELECTED. OUT OF THE TWO ALLIANCES, WHICH HAS MORE THAN HALF REPRESENTATION, WILL FORM THE GOVERNMENT, THE OTHER ALLIANCE WILL AUTOMATICALY BECOME, THE OPPOSITION. AT PRESENT, THE TALK OF THE THIRD OR FOURTH FRONT IS ONLY TO DEVIDE ATTENTION OF VOTERS ON THE LINE OF CASTE, VOTE BANK.

HORSE TRADING IS A RESULT OF A HUNG ASSEMBLY OR PARLIAMENT AND A GROUP WITH MINORITY NUMBERS CLAIMS TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS NOTHING ELSE, BUT CHEATING THE VOTERS AND HIJACKING THE PUBLIC MANDATE. IT IS AGAINST THE NATION’S WILL.

WE NEED TO LEARN A LITLE BIT FROM AMERICAN ELECTIONS AS WELL. WE HAVE TO ESTABLISH A HEALTHY ELECTORAL PRACTICE AFTER COUNTRYWIDE, PUBLIC DEBATE. THIS DEMAND HAS TO COME FROM PUBLIC, THE COMMON MAN. ACCORDINGLY, WE MAY ADOPT THE FOLLOWING ELECTORAL PROCESS, FOR THE PROPOSED ELECTORAL REFORMS:-

1) THERE MUST BE ONLY TWO REGISTERED POLITICAL FORMATIONS OR POLITICAL ALLIANCES AT THE ELECTION COMISSION. THE ELECTION PROCESS HAS TO BE BIPOLAR. ELECTORATE MUST BE OFFERED, AN OPTION OF, ONLY TWO BEST CANDIDATES FROM EACH CONSTITUENCY. NOMINATION OF INDEPENDENTS AND INDIVIDUAL PARTIES MUST NOT BE ENTERTAINED. THEY MUST COME THROUGH EITHER OF THE ALLIANCES. WE MUST SAY NO TO THE MULTIPOLAR ELECTION AND THE POLITICAL PARTIES MUST GO FOR PRE-POL ALLIANCES OF ONLY TWO GROUPS.

2) STATE SHOULD FUND, THE ENTIRE ELECTION PROCESS, INCLUDING THE CONVASSING OF BOTH THE ALLIANCES. EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE FOR, CROSS PUBLIC DEBATE OF THE TWO CANDIDATES, FOR PUBLIC TO JUDGE THEIR INDIVIDUAL INTEGRITY AND CAPABILITY. BY ADOPTING THIS SYSTEM, WE CAN KEEP AWAY THE BAD EFFECTS OF DONATIONS AND MONEY POWER IN ELECTION.

3) APART FROM IT, THERE MUST BE INTERNAL DEMOCRACY WITHIN EACH PARTY AND ALLIANCE. HIGH COMMAND SHOULD NOT IMPOSE A CANDIDATE. THERE SHOULD BE INTERNAL ELECTION WITHIN A GROUP OR ALLIANCE, TO SELECT ONE OF THE BESTCANDIDATES. THE SELECTED CANDIDATE SHOULD GET THE TICKET, FROM THAT ALLIANCE FOR CONTESTING THE MAIN ELECTION. THERE AFTER ALL OTHER ASPIRANTS MUST SUPPORT THIS CANDIDATE, AS IT IS PRACTICED, IN AMERICA. THIS PRIMERY EXERCISE NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THE CONSTITUENCY LEVEL. THIS EXERCISE WILL PUT FORWARD, ONLY TWO BEST CANDIDATES, FOR PUBLIC TO ELECT, ANY ONE OF THE TWO.
THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE FORWARD OUR NATION TOWARDS DEMOCRACY IN REAL SENSE. IT WILL GENERATE INTEREST IN PUBLIC FOR THE ELECTION PROCESS.

4) RIGHT TO RECALL, MUST BE GIVEN TO ELECTORATE AS WELL. IF A PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE, M.P. OR M.L.A. WORKS AGAINST THE PEOPLE’S WISH, THE VOTERS MUST HAVE THE RIGHT TO RECALL HIM OR HER. THIS WILL HAVE IMMENSE BENEFIT FOR CONSTITUENCY, AS WELL, FOR THE NATION AT LARGE.

5) ELECTORATE MUST BE GIVEN A THIRD ALTERNATIVE TOO LIKE, “NONE OF THE ABOVE TWO CANDIDATES IS FIT FOR ELECTION”. A SIMILAR PROPOSAL IS UNDER CONSIDERATION, WITH THE ELECTION COMMISSION. IF THIS ALTERNATIVE GETS MAXIMUM VOTE, THEN THERE SHOULD BE A RE-ELECTION FOR THAT CONSTITUENCY AND OTHERS MUST BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO BECOME THE CANDIDATES. THE NEGATED CANDIDATES MUST NEVER BE PUT FORWARD FOR ELECTION, AGAIN.

6) WITH ALL THESE ELECTORAL REFORMS, PUBLIC WILL HAPPILY PARTICIPATE IN ELECTION PROCESS AND COME OUT IN LARGE NUMBERS TO VOTE. IT WILL PUT UP A VERY STRONG FOUNDATION TO STRENGTHEN, THE DEMOCRACY IN OUR COUNTRY. POLITICAL ALLIANCES WILL BE CLOSER TO THE MASSES.

7) IN SUCH A HEALTHY SITUATION, WE CAN GO A STEP FURTHER AND THE VOTING CAN BE MADE COMPULSORY. ALTERNATIVELY IF VOTING PERCENTAGE IS ABOVE A MINIMUM LEVEL, THEN ONLY ELECTION OUTCOME SHOULD BE CONSIDERED VALID.

8) A PERSON, WHO WANTS TO CONTEST ELECTION, HAS TO JOIN ONE OF THE TWO POLITICAL ALLIANCES. FURTHER HE OR SHE MUST WIN, THE INTERNAL DEMOCRATIC SELECTION PROCESS, OF THAT ALLIANCE, IN A CONSTITUENCY FOR THE CANDIDATURE.


THE PRESENT SYSTEM, OF ELECTING OUR LEADERS, HAS DEVIDED THE NATION, ON THE BASIS OF CASTE, RELIGION, VOTE BANK AND ON THE BASIS OF REGIONALISM. OFTEN, THEY GET ELECTED BY NEGATIVE VOTES. IT HAS ALREADY REACHED TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL AND THREATENING THE UNITY OF NATION. IT HAS ONLY SERVED THE SELFISH POLITICIANS AND NEVER THE COUNTRY.

BRIJESH KUMAR RAI(Sir, the writer is an Aircraft Engineer, with JET AIRWAYS)