Vote Bank and Faith of Politician in India

Vote Bank and Faith of Politician in India

Vote Bank

 Since independence vote bank politics is the short cut to power. Politicians have divided citizens in groups basically based on religion and caste. There are other criteria also to form groups. These groups are formed so that the group votes for a specific politician or political party. Groups are easier to lure and satisfy group demand(s). Voting is not compulsory so only certain groups vote in the election. Naturally a politician, who is successful in forming group and ensuring the group votes, wins election. In Indian constitution there is no provision to ensure that almost all vote in the election. Hence forming group and luring them to vote has become short cut to power.  Vote bank is possible only when a portion of voters vote. If 100% voters exercise their right it would be difficult for politicians to win election based on vote bank. There are some more complications like Aya Ram-Gaya Ram, which need to be resolved for smooth functioning of democracy.

Common Vote Bank

A powerful dose of medicine to destroy vote bank is voting by almost every voter in the constituency. No politician can make a single vote bank of all voters. In case some politician succeeds in doing so, it is desirable. Therefore, such a politician must be encouraged

Vote Bank of Farmers

Aya Ram-Gaya Ram can totally be stopped just by passing a single resolution. We should give importance to faith. A politician’s faith is in his/her thinking. He/She may contest election as an independent candidate or as a political party nominee. There need not be any restriction on this. However, to prove faith in political party or as an independent candidate minimum time period must be laid down. Six years period appears to be the best to evolve faith of any candidate wish to file nomination for contesting election.  The period of six years should be counted up to the date of last day of filing nomination application. The government must make some efforts to avoid discrepancy in counting time period. For this purpose the government should launch a website controlled by “Lokpal”. 

Encorage party members to form Vote Banks

This website should give information about a politician either a party worker or independent as needed to be given by a candidate who wishes to contest election. There should be provision on website to correct information from time to time. Filling and modification of information should be total responsibility of politician/party worker. Political party when approves membership or dismisses the politician the information should not only be saved on the said website   but also on supplementary website. This will allow the election officer to find faith and it’s time period of the politician who wants to file nomination for election. Once a politician knows he/she has to wait for 6 years before contesting election he/she shall not change faith easily. Therefore, problem of Aya Ram-Gaya Ram shall be totally solved satisfactorily.

Money Based Vote Bank 

Vote Bank in India is not only based on caste/religion but more effectively on expenditure made by election contestants on voters. Although there are restrictions on expenditure incurred by contestants, there is no practical method to control it fully. Candidates contesting election can easily manage their expenditure within limits on paper only.  A solution to control propaganda expenditure by these candidates is the expenditure be incurred by the government. On face value it would appear to be a solution with known loss. However, in practice it shall be solution with gain if this is thought over considering practical possibilities. Firstly no candidate would spend unless he/she is confident of many fold returns. Even those who loose election shall recover their expenditure by one way or other. Hence every candidate spends liberally during election. If the government takes this responsibility the expenditure shall always be less because it shall be only on legitimate reasons. Further the candidates have to prove their capability in comparison with others. This comparative chart shall be available to every voter. Thus there shall be a possibility of the best candidate is elected.

While making common propaganda arrangement it would be ensured that exactly equal opportunity is given to every candidate and surveillance is maintained to ensure candidates don’t spend any money for propaganda. Law can be passed to reject candidature of a candidate who spends money apart from spent by the government.