Memorandum regarding Electoral Reforms

To,

The Chief Election Commissioner,

Election Commission,

Govt. of India,

Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi

From,

The Convenor,

Janmukti Sangharsh Vahini (JaSaVa)

Subject : Memorandum regarding Electoral Reforms

Sir,

We demand the following electoral reforms to make our democratic functioning more pro-people and strong–

1.      The candidature of any person in any election from more than one constituency must be restricted.

2.      No one should be allowed to seek election for any House, if she/he is already a member of any other House [i.e. Loksabha, Rajyasabha, Legislative Assembly or Council]. If she/he is willing to seek election, she/he must resign first from her/his current membership before nomination.

3.      Until and unless this provision of being a candidate from two constituencies simultaneously in an election remains effective, the current process of re-election after the resignation of elected candidate should be stopped. As & when the elected person vacates her/his one seat to keep the other, the person – who has got the second highest number of votes from that constituency, must be declared its elected representative instead of conducting the election again there. It is necessarily logical because the elected person is ignoring and deserting the democratic decision of the electorate.

4.      The provocative campaigns and speeches must be strictly restricted. Individualistic comments and subjective sledging must be restricted also. The Election Commission should take suo moto notice of any violation and take stern action at once without any delay.

5.      It must be ensured that the election campaigning should be centered on issues & policies alone.

6.      There should be no counters/tents of the political parties/candidates near a polling-booth on the day of polling. Instead the Election Commission should provide a Help-Counter of its own.

7.      The voters should get ‘Right to Reject’ and ‘Right to Recall’.

8.      All the registered political parties must be brought under the purview of RTI – ‘Right to Information’.

9.      Instead of boothwise counting and declaration, the counting must be done only after random-mixing of votes, and then the declaration should be made.

  Arvind Anjum

Convenor – Janmukti Sangharsh Vahini