The influence of cash in election and bribing of voters is a matter of serious concern in the present Lok Sabha election. As per the data published by the Election Commission on 27th April, money worth 3500 cr rupees is seized till now before the 4th phase of election. This amount is much more than what was confiscated by the EC during the 2014 Look Sabah election. What is confiscated is likely to be less than 5% of what is being spent by all the candidates and parties in these elections which means that the actual amount of money involved is estimated to be nearly 1 lakh core rupees approximately. The trend that is not restricted only to the states of southern part of the country but as whole.
Recently the election commission has decided to cancel elections in Vellore constituency due to illegal use of money power in elections. The steps taken by the EC in handling the issue hasn’t created any long term effective impact in handling the issue. In 2016, EC went to extend of postponing the election in 2 constituencies in Tamil nadu state election but the same took place five months later, V. Senthil Balaji and M. Rengasamy, then in the AIADMK, against whom the Election Commission had earlier entertained complaints, were elected from Aravakurichi and Thanjavur. Even now, they are in the fray but as nominees of the DMK and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. While the election commission pleads helplessness saying there are no such provisions in the electoral laws to disqualify the candidate or to act immediately as there are no such provisions in law. Even the legal provisions that are available with regard of bribing in election are ineffective. Rarely are charge sheets filed after the initial FIR. In the R.K. Nagar case itself, the FIR was quashed by a single judge with the Election Commission not even being aware of it. in April 2017 the Election Commission approached law ministry to amend electoral laws to disqualify candidate from election for 5 yrs who are charge sheeted by the court and also seeking reforms in people representation of 1951 but still there is no news regarding the action taken by the law ministry in media. There should also be a committee under election commission to investigate and prosecute the offenders of law.
Unless demand side is addressed too no political initiative is going to make a difference, so there has to be some laws that ensure that people who receive bribes from political parties are also under the eyes of law .The practicing of freebie culture in many states mainly in Tamil nadu is one of main reasons that makes people readily accept money for votes from political parties because people see no difference in taking money from candidates as they have otherwise got used to receiving money from the government under one scheme or the other .Thus schemes focusing on materialistic needs of people rather than focusing long term development really has an impact on voters receiving money from candidates.
Therefore unless correction is made soon, the democratic process will fail to serve its purpose, for wrong reasons.
REFERENCES:
- Tamil nadu’s best kept open secret – T Ramakrishnan – https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/cash-for-votes-tns-best-kept -open-secret/article26968807.ece
- How money subverts election – jehangir s. pocha – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/india-elections-money_b_5293211
- http://bengali.news18.com/
Nice one Surya👍