Incidents of corrupt practices are increasing election after election, this is weakening democracy.

Be it elections of Lok Sabha or Assembly or of the democratic organizations below, where the issues of policy, morality and purity are left behind, not only democracy but also the nation becomes weak. Elections have been held in three states and elections are going to be held in two states. To ensure clean and fair elections, the Model Code of Conduct is implemented as soon as the dates are announced. Police forces and administrative personnel are also deployed in large numbers. Despite these efforts and vigilance, widespread corruption and immorality in elections is unfortunate and a serious threat to democracy. Despite all precautions, political parties and their candidates are seen distributing cash, liquor, gifts etc. to woo voters. This disease has reached every level of the democratic process – from Panchayat to Lok Sabha elections – and is continuously increasing. If elections are not given a sacred sanctity, then the ideal of India’s democracy will continue to become blurred and weak. Whereas the election of public representatives will be able to strengthen the democratic system only through fair and transparent voting. Candidates and political parties are expected not to adopt illegal means to attract voters and to desist from trying to lure and mislead voters. Politicians, engrossed in the politics of victory and defeat, are now engaged in the elections of Rajasthan and Telangana assemblies. After a few months, the entire country will be engaged in electing the government at the Centre, but in such a situation, would it not be appropriate to consider the circumstances of our current corrupt election processes? Shouldn’t the present circumstances achieved in the last seven and a half decades of independence be reviewed in the name of these elections?

Assembly elections are being held in five states this month. According to the Election Commission, cash, liquor, gifts etc. worth Rs 1,760 crore have been recovered in these states so far, which is expected to increase by the end of the election process. The speed at which this trend of bribing, distributing and luring voters is increasing can be gauged from the fact that the value of cash and things recovered in these states this year is more than seven times as compared to the 2018 elections. is more. Maximum seizures have been made in Telangana and Rajasthan. Voting is yet to take place in these two states. Voting has been done in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The ruling Congress party and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan have left no stone unturned to woo the voters. Now even during the election campaign, all the political parties are adopting legitimate and illegitimate methods to attract voters towards themselves. Whereas to prevent violation of code of conduct and corruption, this time the Election Commission has also taken the help of technology to strengthen monitoring so that there can be better coordination between various agencies at the central and state level. Despite these strictures, candidates are still finding ways to give cash, liquor, gifts etc. to the voters. Here the voter is also getting tempted and running away from his responsibilities. They are turning away from their big responsibility in the face of small temptations. The public which sells its votes for a few pieces of silver, loses the identity of worthy and unworthy in the frenzy of sect and caste, sacrifices the responsibility of its fair voting to selfish interests, that public is worthy, responsible and deserving. How will they be able to send candidates to legislative bodies? It is the responsibility of the public to establish a healthy and ideal democracy. The more aware she is while voting, the greater will be the interest of the country.

Like every time, huge electoral corruption has been seen in these five states – Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. In these elections, every political party kept thinking about its own interests and kept finding ways and means to get as many votes as possible. For this, this time he has used more wrong, unconstitutional, unethical and corrupt methods than before. Whereas the Commission has become more active and alert than before. More alertness has also been seen among the administrative officers and personnel involved in the election process. But the irony is that despite all this, clean, transparent and pure elections are not possible. The use of money power has increased in elections, communal and caste manipulations have increased. Cash, liquor and gifts have been distributed openly. Whereas these situations are a clear violation of the election code of conduct. The primary responsibility and accountability of controlling these lies with the Commission and also with the political parties. Increasing electoral corruption is a serious problem, just as information about cases registered against candidates is made public, similarly voters should also be told as to which candidate the illegal cash and other items recovered belong to. The eligibility of the candidate who has committed such audacity should be declared invalid. Voters should also play a positive role in stopping electoral corruption. Many voters are not aware of their interests, hence they are not able to choose interest-seeking candidates and parties. Many voters are disillusioned, hence their votes go after liquor bottles, small amounts of money and selfishness. We have to understand that the one who wins with the help of corruption will never give priority to public service. Therefore, treatment of the disease of electoral corruption is necessary.

The reality is also that the demand for electoral reforms has been raised from time to time and especially at the time when elections are near or during the electoral processes, there has been more talk of taking electoral reform steps. But it is natural to raise the question that why are these issues not resolved before the elections? The answer to this is never that the Election Commission has become powerless. Even today, the Election Commission has full powers and is working impartially. But for the last few decades, it has been seen that the Supreme Court always talks about electoral reforms, but the political parties have always expressed non-cooperation and opposition to it. Perhaps it would not be wrong to speculate that due to electoral reforms, political parties would have been afraid that by curbing their arbitrary and criminal involvement and excessive use of money, it would be impossible to ensure victory in the elections. In any case, the need for huge sums of money in elections in India is a bitter reality; the expenditure limit prescribed for it has proved to be meaningless and is hardly followed.

Due to many shortcomings, not much could be done in favor of electoral purification. However, many relevant reforms and strict steps are needed in this regard. With the increasing use of money power, corruption takes firm roots in elections, which ultimately engulfs the entire system and makes it corrupt and weak. Often the source of such election money is hidden in crime. Unaccounted money is invested in elections by criminal elements with the hope that after the elections they will be able to take control of government contracts and brokerage and will recover the amount spent along with interest. This is where political corruption begins and this is where people get involved in election corruption. In order to make democracy a true ‘people’s system’, the Central Government has taken a meaningful initiative by bringing a bill related to electoral reforms. From this bill we can infer that the will of the government is very strong. But still a lot of concrete initiatives are required in the field of electoral reforms. In which paid news will have to be made an electoral crime beyond cash, liquor and gifts. Besides, public opinion polling will have to be regulated during the election period and limits on campaign expenditure of political parties will have to be set. Since political transparency gives legitimacy to democracy, it is very important to implement important electoral reforms.

-Lalit Garg

(The author is a senior journalist and columnist)