Tech-based solutions can check poll abuses : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Tech-based solutions can check poll abuses

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Pioneer (26-10-2022)

(When it is possible to use a credit or debit card from anywhere, anytime, why not ‘anytime, anywhere voting’? -Editor)

Election expenditure and malpractices, normally and predominantly in by-elections, as is observed by print and electronic media in the Munugod Assembly elections in Telangana, have become extremely alarming. One contesting candidate announcing that he would get Rs 1,000 crore from the Center for development works, while also securing Rs 18,000 crore of contract is ridiculous.

India holds the world's largest national elections, well known to be also globally the second most expensive polls. According to a study -- ‘Poll Expenditure: The 2019 Elections’ -- by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), a pioneer in development research, a staggering Rs 55,000-60,000 crore was spent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. According to SY Quraishi, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India, the huge expenditures signal threats to representative form of the government and reveal the linkages between election expenditure and the exorbitant levels of corruption that citizens have to bear while availing basic public services.

The CMS termed it as the ‘most expensive election ever, anywhere’ with an estimated Rs 100 crore spent in each Lok Sabha constituency. This is multiple times more than the expenditure limit (Rs 70 lakh) mandated by the Election Commission of India. Interestingly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent about 45 per cent of the total amount. The CMS feels that despite ECI having an elaborate system of surveillance and tracking at all levels, except symbolic confiscations, no stern initiative was taken. It seldom demonstrated its powers, and remained a silent spectator when parties and candidates did not observe its directives.

Despite these startling revelations three years ago by the CMS which has 30 years of active and hectic pursuits as an independent institute, nothing seems to have been initiated to check such expenditure in elections by the ECI.

‘Unfolding Indian Elections - Journey of the living democracy’, a book published by Election Commission of India in January 2017, documented several interesting facts about Indian elections. Independence to India heralded universal adult suffrage and the first general elections were held for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies simultaneously during 1951-52. Every citizen above 21 years (now it is 18 years since 2014 elections) of age was eligible to vote. It was an enormous task to enroll every adult citizen. The whole process was fairly a grand success. Spending money or buying votes in the elections was an anathema. The whole process of election took place from September 10, 1951 to June 4, 1952. The global community witnessed the elections with great interest. The first CEO of India Sukumar Sen oversaw the elections. The indelible ink for application on voter’s fingers was developed by Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Metal boxes numbering 24, 73, 850 and 1, 11, 095 wooden boxes were used to receive ballots. Each candidate was assigned one box then.

Some voters regarded ballot boxes as objects of worship and dropped flowers and some dropped papers, hurling abuses to a particular candidate. Later, a common ballot paper system was introduced and used successfully until EVMs were introduced.  The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are the new ballots. The usage has trimmed the bulk and the cost of election material, lessened manpower requirements, eliminated invalid voting and accelerated the counting process. Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was first used in Noksen Assembly segment in Nagaland in September 2013, enabling voters to verify that their vote has gone to the intended candidate only, and has come into use all over subsequently.

Election abuses have become a characteristic feature steadily. Unless an IT-enabled technology solution in the form of ‘Anytime, Anywhere Voting’ is introduced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), survival of democracy will be at stake. With the ever-changing scenario, it is convinced that ECI is practically powerless, helpless and incapable of regulating the poll expenditure of candidates and parties running into crores, particularly in by-elections. The major reason for huge expenditure is the lengthy prolonged election and electioneering process that we exercise now. Hence, it is high time that a thought is given moving from the EVM form of voting to ‘Anytime, Anywhere Voting’, reducing steeply the entire election process and cutting short the campaign time considerably.

As of now the election process commences with announcing schedule followed by Model Code of Conduct, which again is a stumbling block for carrying developmental and welfare programs sometimes months together, which is absurd. Political parties announcing their candidates followed by nominations and submitting B-forms to Returning Officers, scrutiny, withdrawals, campaign, voting, counting, declaring winning candidate etc. form part of long-lasting electoral process. This propels exorbitant expenditure on political parties and candidates, often multiple times over and above mandated by the polling body, absolutely unchecked by ECI.

This whole process needs an urgent immediate change through electoral reforms by introducing the ‘Anytime, Anywhere Voting’ system. Voters instead of going to a polling booth and waiting in queues for longer hours till their turns come to vote needs to be changed. He or she should have the choice to vote anytime, anywhere and not in a specified polling booth. Voters should be enabled to vote during the prescribed couple of days and on inserting the card, the ballot connected to the voter’s constituency should appear. Cards also should be programmed in such a way that, other than the voter, and that too only after inserting the card, none will be able to enter the booth.

Campaign time should be cut short and be made almost nil since these days of proliferation of electronic media they can make use of them to reach the voter. Direct contact with voters during elections to be totally curtailed or may be zeroed down. Political leaders or elected representatives, by this arrangement, will more frequently meet the voters, instead of the present tradition of luring them only during election time.

As of now, poll irregularities commence the moment elections are announced and for by-elections from the day the seat falls vacant. Better to hold elections maximum within a week from the date of nominations, including filing nominations along with B-form, scrutiny, withdrawal, brief campaign, voting, counting and announcement of results. When the campaign time is reduced, the possibility of spending huge amounts to buy votes will be minimized at least.

Voting may take place for more than a day. The ECI should design a ‘Permanent Social Security Number Card’ in such a way that except the voter no one can use it. And the voter too can use it only once in a particular election. Electoral Machines are to be arranged at as many places as possible with proper security arrangements. When we could move from using separate boxes for each candidate to a common ballot box and from there to EVMs, the voter can easily adapt to this. When it is possible to use a credit or debit card from anywhere, anytime and withdraw or deposit money, including abroad, why isn't ‘anytime, anywhere voting’ possible?

(The author is a political analyst)