EC looks to change the way elections are fought

Looking to play a bigger and more effective role in elections, the Election Commission (EC) is hoping to get green signal from the government on various of its proposals to comprehensively review the election laws that will help it to decriminalise politics and cleanse political funding.

Among the key amendments that EC is looking forward to carry out are - bringing down the amount of non declared donations to political parties from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000; punishment of two years imprisonment to candidates who furnish wrong or conceal information in election affidavits; and debarring candidates charged with cognisable offences from contesting elections.

Sources in election commission said, though they do not accept these changes to come into effect before the crucial state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and etc. in 2017-18 as after getting government nod these would require Parliament to amend Representation of Peoples' Act, 1961, they are hopeful of having more powers at their hands when country goes for Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

At present, the upper limit of election expenditure per candidate for state assembly constituency is Rs 16 lakh and for a parliamentary constituency is Rs 40 lakh. However, there is no cap on the expenditure of political parties that defeats the whole purpose of expenditure limit.

"There are various loopholes in section 77 of the Representation of People's Act that allow the candidates to go scot-free by using the expenditure made by their political parties. This does not allow the honest candidates, who cannot spend huge amounts, to be on an even keel,"said an official.

Moreover, the Rs 20,000 limit to take unaccounted donations is being abused by the political parties, as in most cases the majority of cases barring Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the political parties take most of their donations in denomination lesser than Rs 20,000 to evade scrutiny.

Besides, the election commission is also looking at ways for state funding of elections and holding parliamentary elections and state assembly elections together to absolutely do away with the practice of political funding that is considered to be the fountainhead of black money generation.

Addressing the all party meet before the start of winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also broached this subject of state funding of elections to curtail the generation of black money. Unaccounted spending by political parties during elections, be it parliamentary, state assembly and even for municipal corporation or panchayat are considered.

However, commission thinks that a major reform like state funding would need a lot of brainstorming to bring about a consensus and massive exercise would be needed to go into the details of it.

"It is the best case scenario. But it may take several years to devise ways and solve the economics of state funding and bring all political parties on the one single platform and consensus. Until then we need certain basic reforms that give us more teeth, to bring in at least some semblance of cleanliness in elections,"said an official of the election commission.

BRAINSTORMING

Election Commission thinks that a major reform like state funding would need a lot of brainstorming to bring about a consensus and massive exercise would be needed to go into the details of it.

"It is the best case scenario. But it may take several years to devise ways and solve the economics of state funding and bring all political parties on the one single platform and consensus. Until then we need certain basic reforms that give us more teeth, to bring in at least some semblance of cleanliness in elections,"said an official of the election commission.