In the name of ensuring free and fair elections...

Dear friends, 

This is first of my attempts to write an independent opinion article exclusively for my blogspot. I sincerely await your comments on this one... Kartik

FREE AND FAIR?
The latest recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in its 61st report on electoral reforms are nothing but one more step of Indian political class towards snubbing institutions set up to ensure free and fair elections. 

Snubbing is the only word that can describe the intention of political class. There is no rationale and moral behind recommending to strip the Election Commission of India (ECI) of certain powers vested in it. Stripping off the ECI’s power to de-recognise a political party will create a system wherein any party may get and continue to be recognised irrespective of share of votes it garners. 

The Parliamentary panel has observed that ‘persons other than members of the House should not be given powers to make application to disqualify an MLA or an MP’. This smacks of ill-motive. 

When the same political class boasts of being a mere custodian of public faith in Parliamentary democracy, how can the same class recommed depriving the people of right to apply for disqualification of a representative? The answer to this question is difficult. Against the backdrop of recent developments, all this is nothing but a smart ploy to restrict ECI’s power in the name of providing legal back-up to the institution. 

Surely, if there is a debate on the issue, the smart political leaders will come up with equally smart justifications. But then, justification could be given even by a murderer or a rapist for his actions, however vile. One does not accept that ignoring the murder or the rape. Similarly, such recommendations need to be debated thoroughly to maintain and even add some more emphasis on conduct of free and fair elections in the country.

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