1. ELECTIONS IN INDIA
 These Days money power is playing "havoc" with the electoral
system in the country and Election Commission is fine-tuning its
means to deal effectively with the menace.
 The unconscionable and grievous expenditure on elections,
which gives overwhelming advantage to money-power.
 A candidate for Parliament requires crores of rupees to fight an
election. These costs are obtained through party funds, which
rest not (as they should) on membership fees and small
voluntary donations, but on commissions creamed off
government contracts, and on bribes given by industrialists to
whom the parties have granted favors.
 The funds provided to (or gathered by) contestants are then used
to seek to bribe voters.
 The money spent in fighting elections is recovered many-fold in
case the party or contestant wins.
“Elections are held to delude the populace into believing that they are
participating in Government”. -Gerald F. Lieberman
Elections form the mainstay of our Indian Democracy. Our democratic setup bestows on
us the right to elect the representatives of the state.
In C.Rajagopalchari’s time, a minority of politicians (perhaps 20% or so) were corrupt. And
virtually none were criminals. Now, certainly less than 20% of politicians in power are
completely honest; and somewhat more than 20% have criminal records.
• Barrels of black money flow during
elections, parochial tendencies playing
their role pressuring public, purchasing
them & creating impressions in their mind.

2. ELECTIONS IN INDIA
• This correlation is best reflected in the analysis of criminal
records of 4181 repeat candidates by ADR. It shows that
1072 of them had a criminal case the first they contested
elections, and in 788 cases of 74% of the time, they
managed to get a party ticket to recontest.
• For example, in parties like the SP, a candidate with a
clean record has an 18% chance of winning, his chances
go up to 31% if he has a criminal record.
• In the BJP, the chances of being elected with a clean
record is 28%, while with a criminal record, chances go up
to 40%.
• While the average assets of 62,847 candidates, stood at Rs
1.37 crore, those of MPs and MLAs stood at Rs 3.83
crore," he added.
This just shows that
criminalization and money
power are a fact of Indian
elections, and is operating
in the full knowledge of
political parties.
Let us go through some of the flaws found in Indian electoral system
On seeing these instances, politics seems to be the market of barter system that is
“note ke badle vote”.
As per recent amendment a candidate can contest from at most 2 constituencies. Bureaucratization of politics is also seen in the
current arena. The parties can manage to get the officers in their favor to be the electoral officers in their constituencies
But in many cases candidate wins both, he selects any one and need arises for bye election leading to unnecessary expenditure.
In India, muscle and money can help you win elections.
The Association of Democratic Rights (ADR) has the figures to prove it.
Candidates do not disclose all the cases of conviction and pending charges against them. They provide wrong and
incomplete information regarding their assets, liabilities, and income and educational qualifications.

3. Need for Electoral Reforms
Mere conducting of elections periodically doesn’t prove that we are republic and have an effective democracy. It is the way
elections are held, the quality of people elected, their performances that make our democracy effective.
We can’t put the entire blame for current state of affairs on our political system because it is not functioning in vacuum.
The society has share in the blame. The behavior of our political system is its response to the society and to reform our
political system, we need to reform society and its subsystems. This is where electoral reform becomes important.
Elections are not entirely free and fair; they are not reflecting the true will and aspirations of the people.
The exceedingly high premium placed on capturing power by fair or foul means is because of the elected
representatives' conviction that power is the passport to personal prosperity.
The biggest challenge that we, who have preached and practiced probity in public life face, is to restore faith in the
political class and rejuvenate the democratic process".
Corrective steps are urgently needed to strengthen Parliament’s role as the authentic voice of the people as they struggle and
suffer to realize the inspiring vision of a free and just society enshrined in the Constitution.

4. This includes reforms of:
The term ‘Electoral Reform’ refers to the change in the systems of election process in order to improve on
the desirability of the public in the election results.
One of the prime factors in electoral reforms is the change in the process and procedure of voting System.
“An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it.”
- George Bernard Shaw
ELECTION REFORMS
Voting systems
• A two-round system
• Instant-runoff voting
• Instant Round Robin
• Condorcet Voting
• Approval
voting and referendums
• Recall elections.
• Vote-counting
procedures.
Rules about political parties Nomination Rules
• How candidates and
political parties are able
to stand and how they
are able to get their
names onto ballots
(Ballot Access).
Eligibility to vote
Ballot design and voting equipment Safety of voters and election workers
Voter Turnout
• Factors which affect the
rate of voter participation.
Measures against bribery, coercion, and conflicts of interest
Electoral constituencies and election district borders

5. Solutions:
 100% Implementation of RTI(Right to information)-
The transparency in the government machinery is the basic
requirement to combat corruption. The Right to Information Act
(RTI) should be further fine tuned and stringent punishment
should be given to the government officials who do not provide
the information sought by the citizens under RTI Act.
 Need for fast track court for election disputes-
A special permanent court must be constituted to look into all
issues relating to elections at the state and central level , which
should be a fast track court, which would have the authority to
ban criminals and dishonest people from contesting in the
elections.

6. Continue….
Scrap MP/MLA constituency fund
The MP and MLA constituency fund should be scrapped forthwith,
as there is lot of evidence of this being used for corrupt practices
and generation of black money which is used during elections.
Conduct knowledge test for candidates
While educational qualifications need not be insisted for the
candidates contesting elections, they should be asked to undergo a
knowledge test by election commission. This would ensure that
ignorant people who have only money power and muscle power
do not enter the fray and win elections.

7. Continue…
Bring down cost of election campaign
The cost of election campaign should be brought down by
encouraging campaign through print and visual media in the form
of advertisements for which concessional charge should be fixed
by the government and part of the expenses should be subsidized
by the government.
Educate the voters
Uneducated people may be manipulated easily. They don’t
understand the tricks and fundamentals of politicians. So voters
must be educated to choose the right candidate for themselves.
Generally uneducated people become the victims of politics,
politicians try to manipulate and attract them with money and
goods.
Educate voter will vote better.

8. Continue…
Impose President’s rule three months before the general
elections
The suggestion of Rajaji that the President’s rule should be
imposed before the general elections should be accepted and
implemented to ensure fair elections, even if it would require an
amendment to the constitution. Ensuring that the politicians
would not be in power at the time of conducting the general
elections would go a long way in conducting fair elections in the
country.
Deny permission for more than two terms
No MLA or M P should be permitted to contest in elections more
than two times . The American law that no one can become
President more than two times is a commendable step and similar
regulations should be followed in India also.

9. Impact
• Improve the equality of representation or to make the party system more manageable, It
should be possible to decide election outcomes objectively, efficiently, and quickly in every
possible situation.
• Vagueness, inconsistencies, and impracticalities in an elections can be reduced.
• People get what they are demanding.
• The process should make it possible to achieve a real break with the past.
• Elections are not entirely free and fair; they are not reflecting the true will and aspirations of
the people
• Elections will reflect the true will and aspirations of the people.
• Role of Money & Muscle Power will be diminished.
• Eligible and More Qualified People will only get to job serve people and Nation.
• Communalization of votes will not be there.
• More Development in Various Fields will happen as result of Honest Politicians.
• And there’s a lot more.

10. Challenges & Risks: This list is not exhaustive
One of our able Chief Election Commissioner has rightly said that:
It is the citizens and civil society which have to work vigorously towards this along with the Government.
In the long run, the legitimacy and survival of an electoral reform also depend on its technical merit and the
degree to which it effectively addresses past problems.
People must be well educated to understand all the faces of politics and select the best amongst the worst.
Reform is needed not only for the Electoral system but for the society as a whole. Let’s do what we can.
Educate the innocent.
Don’t encourage anti- social elements. Don’t be a silent spectator to the crimes. Discourage favoring,
corruption, parochial tendencies like voting for caste, region, language etc. Recognize the true leaders..
Demand transparency.
Exercise your right to vote. Vote for values, talents and visions.
In the long term the legitimacy of an electoral reform may diminish as new interests, parties, issues, and
priorities arise, even in the most representative democracies.
In spite of making lots of rules; it is not possible to make the Electoral system fool proof.
Freedom we are enjoying is the fruit of the Indian freedom struggle tree to which
millions of freedom fighters have poured their blood for it to grow and yield the fruit.
Get started before it’s too late and out of our hands.

11. References
• Hartlyn, Jonathan. 1988. The Politics of Coalition Rule in Colombia. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
• Mainwaring, Scott. 1991. "Politicians, Parties, and Electoral Systems: Brazil in Comparative
Perspective." Comparative Politics 24:1 (October).
• -----. 1997. "Explaining Choices of Political Institutions: Interests and Rational Politicians in
Brazil, 1985-1988." Unpublished ms.
• Ref: Proposed electoral reforms by ECI
• The Law Commission in its 170th Report on Reform of the Electoral laws (1999)