May 03, 2009

2nd May 2009

Are the new standards of rules, regulations and restrictions, being enforced by the Election Commission, resulting in more outflow of money by the political parties in the elections? As a result of seizure of many avenues for the parties and the contestants to reach the voters, has money become the only way to reach them, reach them effectively? This was the question posed to me by Mr. Arun, who is a senior reporter with Indian Express.

It was thought provoking. I discussed this with many of my colleagues having vast experience in facing the elections, a senior JDS leader, and an officer having many years of involvement to his credit in handling elections. The following answers that I got from them are still keeping me intrigued.

o No. There is no such relationship. Even if the campaigning process had been as modest as earlier, penny power would have impacted the same way as it is now. Reason is obvious. Persons with more money power are only able to enter into the politics and make a mark these days.
o Such people, who believe money is just most everything, would not have the faith in the customary campaigning process. No faith in the prowess of Party workers.
o They believe, money has all the power to reach the key voters, the powerful leaders of the respective areas and so on.
o When there is nothing to boast about the candidate’s achievements, there is no other medium which can influence voters. Money alone is the grand avenue!

This new found way is surely a snag for sustenance of our healthy democratic fabric.

What will you say?

-S. Suresh kumar

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Your stand is heartening.
After distancing yourself from the 'award', your pursuing this to logical end and making the facts public through media and posting on web / blog provides the required sincerity of purpose to your statement.
May I also request you to please support moves of legislation towards increasing transparency in dealing with citizen's money.
Regards

manjunathgururaj said...

respected sir
thank you for inviting me,no if a representative of people is honest and visits his constituencies regularly during his tenure that is the best campaign process mp,mla,councilor,corporator or a zp president or who ever rep of people can do to their parties without election code of conduct,unless reps dosen"t reach people and couldn't be recognized elections will be a investment&return function reach the hearts through good deeds not through cash if our reps are honest enough and reach the people frequently i will challenge you can win elections without vitamin M .MANJUNATH BENGALURU

Suresh said...

Unfortunately, the money has become the only criteria to get the election tickets and politics has become a money making job! Sometimes, I feel cheated when I see politicians wasting a lot of tax-payer's money. If we are paying tax, we do expect the government to be transparent on the expenditures.

B V Sesha said...

You have rightly said that ' when there is nothing to boast about the candidate's achievements .....' money is the grand avenue! So, the candidate should ' ACHIEVE '. How ? We all know - by performing. The candidate should go round his constituency every day, sit in his office to hear about complaints and finally he should'nt leave any stone unturned to set things right. He should be easily accessable - a real friend to his voters. I can go on......... But, purchasing votes is nauseating.

cdimul said...

Sir,

Money and Work both side by side is the criteria for a Politician to win elections. He should also be a humble person with little honest and sincere of what he speaks.

P.Chidambaram lost his seat in the election because he exhibited vice, arrogance, goondaism, dishonest and anti-tamil hence though he poured more and more money and wine in his constituency bribing people to vote for him he lost the election.

HOW CONGRESS WON THIS ELECTION DECIETLY?

Congress approached the election calculatively.

First it appointed a Election Commissioner favourable to their party.

Then the Election Commissioner was instructed that what may he should secretly work for Congress candidates win.

So the first job the E.C. did was it took a list of candidates all over India where they are weak and defeat was certain.

Second it took the list of opponents candidates whose defeat should be must to cut their tails.

Third it went about sabotaging Electronic Voting Machines that was to be supplied in these constituencies.

The sabotages could be that before the start of elections itself some 50000 thousand congress votes would have got cast. It was the duty of the election observers of other parties to tally the votes polled and votes counted. If they fail to observe this then these 50000 votes will be counted as polled.

The sabotage could be that purposefully make some EVM's in these selected constituencies to malfunction during election time and in the name of repairs cast 50000 vote in it after rectifying the minor repair in it.

The sabotage could be that to whomever the people vote his vote will be added to congress.

The sabotage could be every third vote should go to congress.

The sabotage could be to change the EVM's while taking it from the polling station to the counting centres.

Spending of money in these constituency by bribing the people to vote for congress. Bribing and ordering the police.. to see the other way when complained about it. Take action against the opponents if they do the same.

Where there is a will there is a way so nothing is impossible.

The only way a FAIR ELECTION could be conducted is by resorting to the old method of voting through ballot papers.

Electronic Voting Machines is a bane to fair elections.

Is there anyone there who are dare enough to file a petition with High Court and Supreme Court to contramand elections in all the booths where congress has suspiciously won the election? A fair re-election when done in these 100 to 200 of constituency the result will be the opposite way.

A simple question for everyone, what great contribution Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh has done to India, what is that they are greater then to Advaniji, how is it possible that people of India could have voted for a foreign Italian power to take over? It can never be but for the sabotages.