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Exchange of Votes with Money in our Society

by Rinku Khumukcham
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By- Buyamayum Liyaquat Ali

Many peoples of our country had sacrificed their lives for democracy so that the future generation can shape their governance. The fundamental right to vote is the base of democracy. Are we using this hard-earned right to vote of our constitution in a rightful manner? Election Commission has announced the By-Election for five Assembly constituency in Manipur and candidates are campaigning at full swing to woo the voters. To choose a correct representative is an important decision of our society. The choice of a suitable candidate by the voters involve so many consideration. Merits and demerits of a candidate and their political parties and programmes are some of the considerations which usually weigh the mind of the voters in selecting a candidate. Most of the people in Manipur doesn’t look the political party of the candidate during election but it is a regretful practice since political party plays an important role in the formation of government and every government wants to impart the ideology of their political party among the people. Our society tends to look the personality, caste, religion and amount of individual benefit while choosing their candidate. When considerations other than the merits of the candidates and policies overtake the mind of the elector or influence his choice, we may say that the purity of election process has been contaminated. Prominent factor to win an election becomes money in our society.

Elections which is to be fought in ideology and development are celebrated like festivals in Manipur. Around ninety five percent of the people in a constituency takes money from candidates during election in various forms. Each voters takes around Rs 500 to Rs 7000 in any election from a candidate. In a constituency of thirty thousand voters, the candidate has to distribute Twenty one crore rupees if Seven thousand rupees is given per voter and he/she also need to spend on election rallies, banners, pamphlets, transport, donation, parties and field visits etc. So a candidate has to spend more than 50 crore rupees to win an Assembly election and it clearly exceeds the permissible expenditure of 20 lakh rupees . We should not treat our candidates like punching bag all the time. Candidates are human beings and they also have the human instinct of not losing their hard-earned money. It should be shameful for us to askour representative for developmental projects after taking money during the time of election. The impact of taking money during election can be clearly visible in the quality of roads and other infrastructures of our society.

The role of money in elections assumes new dimensions more particularly when the candidates and the political parties to which they belong are bent upon to win the election at any cost by using all means fair or foul. They try to overstep the limits laid down by law on one pretext or the other. Candidates are not free to spend as much as they want in the election. The law prescribes that the total election expenditure shall not exceed the maximum limit mentioned in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and all the candidates are also required to submit their expenditure statement to the Election Commission. An incorrect statement or expenditure beyond the cap would amount to corrupt practices and disqualification under the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. Change is an inevitable process and we need to change ourselves to root out the corrupt practice of taking/giving money during election. We can’t only rely on our toothless authorities to create an immaculate society. Right to vote is our weapon and the future of our society is in our hands.

******The writer is an RTI Activist and Ex- Navy.

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