Bharatiya Janata Party’s Key Suggestions on Election Reforms during meeting of Election Commission of India with recognized national and state political parties

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Key Suggestions on Election Reforms during meeting of Election Commission of India with recognized national and state political parties

A country cannot be truly democratic until its citizens have the opportunity to choose their representatives through elections that are free and fair. In the regard, the Bharatiya Janata Party appreciates the efforts and the endeavors undertaken by the Election Commission of India for facilitating elections in India in its true spirit as reflected in its Motto ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’. The initiatives in this regard by the ECI for voter education and sensitization are indeed commendable and shall be lauded from all the sections and across the party lines. As part of this novel idea of the ECI, the Bharatiya Janata Party has following humble submissions for the same.

    I.        FIDELITY OF ELECTORAL ROLLS

Issues for Discussion

The Election Commission invites the views of all political parties on measures to improve the accuracy, transparency and inclusivity of electoral rolls in view of the upcoming elections to the House of the People and the State Assemblies.

Response

1. Emphasis must be laid on accurate physical/personal verification of the Electoral. For this it is necessary that the verification team should comprise of trained personnel mandatorily comprising of women.
2. Voter slip should not be treated as an Identity proof. It has been evident that at times the influential voters have even engaged in purchasing the voter slip also.
3. The team should be conversant with local dialect and should visit at such times when possibility of availability of voters are maximum.

4. Strictly ‘no proxy’ verification and steps should be taken for elimination of bogus voters. This could be done suitably by taking steps to provide clearer photo on voter slip as well as on voter list.
5. Steps could be initiated so that the voter slip should be accompanied with one recognized/standard ID.
6. In order to fix the accountability with respect to the change/deletion in the name of the electorals from the earlier lists, it must be verified by an officer of the level of Deputy Collector. 
7. The inclusion of new voters should be maximized and qualifying date should be the date of declaration of final electoral roll.
8. Immediate steps are required to be taken for maintaining different voter list in alphabetical order, so that duplicate names could be deleted. It is also pertinent here to mention that the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition (C) no. 935 of 2018 has recently issued notice to ECI for the alleged duplication of voters and has sought response thereof. However, initiative could be taken for making a pan India initiative. This could be successfully implemented if the voter registration is linked to AADHAR.

  II.        GENDER AND ELECTIONS

Issues for Discussion

What measures can political parties undertake to encourage enhanced representation of women within the organizational structure of the political party, as well as in the candidate selection for contesting elections to legislative bodies?

Response

1. BJP is committed to women empowerment in all walks of life and is pioneer in encouraging women participation at its organisational level (reflected in the Constitution of the BJP). The other political parties should encourage on similar lines in the better and larger interest of the women of the society.
2. Most of the BJP ruled States have reserved seats for women candidates in Panchayat election. BJP is concerned and is optimistic about introducing women representation reservation Bill in the Parliament to address this cause but the constant animosity on behalf of the opposition parties is creating hindrances in accomplishing the same.
3. Though the selection of an appropriate candidate depends on several parameters, however, special endeavors may be taken for providing reasonable representation.

1. ELECTION EXPENDITURE REGULATION

Issues for discussion

(A) In view of the complaints received regarding use of money power in elections to the State Legislative Councils, what suggestions may be considered to promote the maintenance and lodging of accounts of election expenses by contesting candidates in connection with council elections?

Response

1. It is affirmed on behalf of BJP that maintenance and lodging of accounts for the council elections should be in the similar lines of Parliament and State Assembly elections.

Issues for discussion/resolution

(B) i. Whether there should be a ceiling on election expenditure of a political party in relation to elections to the Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies?

ii. What parameters may be used to prescribe appropriate and realistic ceilings of expenditure for National and State political parties in relation to elections to the Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies?

Response

1. The extent of ceiling on election expenditure of a political party
should be discussed widely, keeping in view the several factors depending on the basis of number of candidates put by a party, social-political dynamics, geographical area of the state or constituencies, density, numbers of rallies proposed by the party etc. In fact, some of unrealistic appropriation of expenses to the candidate account needs to be revisited.
2. However, it is pertinent to mention herein that the political campaigns led by the Political parties are agenda based campaigns which are based on vision documents. If this is limited in any sense, it would certainly encourage politics based on caste, individual influence based politics. Therefore, the ECI may moot for better transparency than limit the expenses.
3. It might also be noted herein that the campaign of a political party also encourages and influences the voters to participate in the elections.
4. With all contributions greater than Rs. 20,000 being reported now, it might well be left to the candidates and political parties to report their sources of funding and expenditure.
5. Political parties mobilize funding on the basis of their voting support base and their membership. Corporate, HNI and crowd funding is a consequence of their voter base. Hence there is no reason to introduce any cap on such collection or expenditure.

(C) What enforcement measures may be explored to ensure the timely submission of annual audit reports, election expenditure reports and contribution reports by national and state recognized political parties?

Response

1. The existing penal provisions like loss of income tax benefits is a sufficient deterrent to ensure that national and state recognized parties file their annual reports. However, in circumstances of repeated and deliberate non-disclosures the ECI could take stern actions such as of freezing of the party symbol. This will also discourage the sham political parties that are registered for name sake only.

1. ELECTION CAMPAIGN PERIOD

Issues for discussion

i. Print media has been excluded from the ambit of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 126, resulting in a regulatory anomaly. Views of political parties are solicited on the matter of including print media within the ambit of section 126(1)(b).

ii. What proposals may be considered to address the issue of online canvassing to promote or prejudice the electoral prospects of a party/candidate on social media during the last 48 hours before conclusion of polling.

Response

1. Print media, state as well as national newspapers should be exempted from silent period proclamations. Similarly regular publication of news magazine should be exempted.
2. The role of the Social Media is a very important source of communication today. Social media platforms such as whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook should be informed (warned) about the proper scrutiny of fake news etc and for that advisories should be issued in advance. Paid news should be checked eventually. However, door-to-door campaign may be permitted with reasonable restrictions such as limiting the number of accompanying persons etc.
3. Persisting with unviable provisions of regulation of campaign only enhances chances of its violation. The commission must be pragmatic enough to revisit some of these regulations.
4. Partial ‘election silence’ may be permitted in the preceding 48 hours before the polls, without undermining the objective behind it.

   V.        CONDUCT OF ELECTION

(a) Alternative Modes of Voting for Domestic Migrants and Absentee Voters

Issues for Discussion

(A) Political parties may present their views regarding the feasibility of alternative modes of voting for migrant voters such as postal, proxy, absentee, early and e-voting ballots to facilitate the electoral participation of domestic migrants.

Response

1. First and foremost, genuine domestic migrant voters should be identified and for that proper process should be determined.

2. No proxy or absentees mode be adopted and therefore in the garb of migrant voters no bogus voting should be permitted.

3. E-voting ballot is a good idea. However, before its implementation, such voters must be well informed.
4. Linking of voter ID with Aadhaar is a good option.

(b) Electronic Transmission of Postal Ballot

Issues for Discussion

The views and feedback of political parties regarding the operation of the ETPBS scheme are solicited.

Response

1. The ETPBS scheme was used in Gujrat Election and before further implementing for other election proper feedback from the users be taken.
2. Though the postal ballot is transmitted electronically, the voting process continues to be tedious and complex. Every effort must be made to simplify the processes of voting.
3. The experience of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System for the Service Voters, though still in a nascent stage, must be made a two way process. Through the deployment of secure and face recognition technology, even the casting of the vote should be possible online.
4. The facility of ETPBS should also be extended to other services whose members are deployed on election duties whether within or outside their constituencies.

(c) Facilities to PWD Voters

Issues for Discussion

The views and feedback of political parties regarding efforts to encourage electoral participation of PwD voters are solicited.

Response

1. PWD voters should be identified booth wise. In the voter list their names should be marked differently. Systems facilitating their easement should be incorporated.
2. They should be specifically informed about their booth and the facilities for them in order to encourage them for voting.
3. While the Commission has formulated a comprehensive action plan to reach out to the PWD voters, it will still need to grapple with the provision of services at the polling station level to deal with different types of disabilities.
4. Setting up of separate ‘Divyang Polling Stations’ may not be a viable effective idea because it has its own administrative limitations, rather more emphasis may be supplied in making the polling booths more accessible with respect to the PWDs. All the persons with disability should be given a priority during the casting of their votes.
5. NGOs and other civil society organizations that are dedicated to the cause of the PWDs can be invited to take care of geographical areas and to further assist the commission in ensuring that no PWD is left out of the electoral process.

1. SYSTEMATIC VOTER EDUCATION AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION (SVEEP)

Issues for discussion

The views and feedback of political parties are solicited, regarding the Commission’s efforts to expand outreach and encourage broad-based, inclusive electoral participation.

Response

1. The steps undertaken by the ECI is highly appreciated in this regard. Demo voting and awareness campaigns at Schools, Colleges and RWAs at the urban as well rural levels. Such frequency of awareness events to be increased.
2. The role of the ‘matdaansahayak’ may be broadened.
3. In place of Interactive School Engagement Program [ISEP], Electoral Literacy Club [ELC] and Chunav Pathshala deserve a special mention due to the potential it holds in educating, sensitizing and preparing our youth in the school for democratic values.
4. The matter could even be taken up with MHRD for including Electoral Literacy as a part of citizenship studies at age and grade appropriate levels, say from class IX onwards.

(Bhupender Yadav)

National General Secretary