Congress today said the bill passed by Gujarat Assembly making voting mandatory in local body polls is "not practical" and it is only through public awareness that voting percentage can be increased.
"It is not practical. This is good as an idea but not easy to implement. It was tried but could not succeed. Public awareness alone can increase voting percentage," Party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters.
He also felt that compulsory voting will not be feasible for the poor, who migrate out of their towns in search of work as it will not be possible for them to come back and vote.
When asked whether the bill seeking to make voting mandatory is correct, senior party leader and minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid said, "people should have the independence of taking their own decision in a democracy."
He also said before making voting compulsory, facilities like near-by polling booths should be provided to the people.
Comments