What are the Electoral Reforms in India? Challenges and Required Changes

What is Electoral Reform?

Electoral reform refers to improving a country's electoral systems to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. In a democratic country, elections form the foundation of governance, and ensuring their credibility is essential for democracy's success. However, various challenges in the electoral process necessitate ongoing reforms.

Legal Provisions for Electoral Reforms

The voting process has evolved significantly since the first general elections in 1952:

• 1952-1957: Separate ballot boxes for each candidate with symbols.
• 1962: Introducing ballot papers that display both candidate names and their respective symbols.
• 2004: Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in all constituencies.
• 2019: EVMs backed by a 100% Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) for transparency.
  

Why Are Electoral Reforms Needed in India?

The first three general elections (1952–1962) were largely free and fair due to the dominance of a single party. However, since the 1971 elections, issues like money and muscle power, caste-based politics, and misuse of government machinery have compromised the integrity of the electoral process.

What are the challenges in the Electoral System?

In the Electoral System, many challenges exist, like money power, muscle power, criminalisation of politics, and many more. All its challenges are given below in detail:

1. Money Power: Candidates spend enormous amounts on campaigns, often exceeding legal limits. Rising disparity between actual and legally permitted expenditures.
   
2. Muscle Power: Violence, voter intimidation, and booth capturing are common in certain regions like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
   
3. Criminalisation of Politics: Political parties field candidates with criminal backgrounds in return for financial and logistical support. Criminals join politics to gain protection and ensure legal cases against them are dropped.
   
4. Misuse of Government Machinery: Government resources are often used to favour ruling party candidates. Public funds are misused for advertising and discretionary spending to gain an electoral advantage.
   

What are the required changes in the proposed Electoral Reforms?

Voting Process and Technology Improvements

1. Enhancing EVM and VVPAT Mechanisms: VVPAT verification should follow a scientific sampling method across regions. In case of discrepancies, full manual counting of VVPAT slips should be conducted. ‘Totaliser’ machines should be introduced to aggregate votes from multiple EVMs before revealing the candidate-wise count.
   
2. Eliminating Fake and Duplicate Voters: Linking Aadhaar with Voter ID should be considered after addressing privacy concerns. EC must remove duplicate voter ID numbers to ensure accuracy in the electoral rolls.
   

Regulations on Election Campaigning

1. Strict Enforcement of Model Code of Conduct (MCC): EC should have the authority to revoke ‘Star Campaigner’ status for violations. EC should suspend or withdraw party recognition for repeated MCC violations.
   
2. Controlling Election Expenditure: Amend the law to count party financial assistance towards candidates’ expenditure limits. Impose an expenditure ceiling on political parties in addition to individual candidates.
   
3. Transparency on Criminal Records: The Supreme Court mandates candidates and parties to declare criminal records at least thrice before elections in widely circulated newspapers and electronic media. Strict enforcement of these directives is necessary to ensure informed voter choices.
   

Improving Electoral Confidence and Engagement

Political parties and the EC should engage in discussions to enhance voter trust. Public awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate voters on electoral rights and the importance of reforms.

Conclusion

Electoral reforms are crucial for ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in India. Addressing challenges such as money and muscle power, criminalisation of politics, and misuse of government resources is essential to upholding democratic principles. By implementing these proposed reforms, India can strengthen its electoral process, enhance voter confidence, and maintain the integrity of its democracy.