Reforms of the electoral system are the alterations in the procedures of holding elections to make them free, fair and transparent. The elections are held in India at a very large scale with millions of people voting. Hence, robust electoral reforms are a must for ensuring the security of democracy and the faith of the public therein.
One significant cause behind the need for electoral reforms in India is the role of money and muscle power in the elections. When many state and parliamentary elections, distribution of cash and freebies were reported. To curb this, the ECI imposes ceiling on election expenditure and also by deputing flying squads and observers.
Another key reform has to do with the criminalization of politics. In India many candidates with criminal record contest elections. In response to this, the Supreme Court ruled that political parties must disclose in public the criminal antecedents of their candidates, see recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. This is useful for knowing on whom to vote.
Improved voting technology has been a focus of electoral reform. Booth capturing and ballot-paper fraud, which were common in pre-1990s India, were checked by the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Then VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) was introduced for voters to verify their votes, thereby enhancing transparency and confidence in electoral system.
Another instance is the NOTA (None of the Above) option which came into practice in 2013 following a Supreme Court direction. NOTA makes it possible for elections to be more democratic by allowing voters to indicate that none of the candidates should be elected.
The voter related reforms are also important. Return of EPIC (Voter ID Card) aided in the eradication of bogus and multiple votes. Special programmes such as Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) exist to facilitate voter education, particularly among young and first-time voters.
Recently, there have been calls to introduce electoral bonds due to political funding controversies. They were controversial, but were designed to deter cash donations and promote party funding via the formal sector. The debate on electoral bonds itself suggests a new era of electoral reforms in the country.
And so political reforms are always in the offing in India... Provisions of the ECI, the SC and the Parliament have contributed in certain measure to the democratisation of democracy, even as deep-rooted issues relating to the unholy trinity of money, muscle and criminality in politics continue to persist unabated. And for a strong and clear democratic process, it is important that reforms remain rooted to and citizens remain committed to active participation.
The success of democracy in India hinges on electoral reforms. Although major initiatives have made elections fairer and more transparent such as EVMs with VVPAT, voter id cards, disclosure of criminal antecedents and the role of the election commission there are still challenges like money power and criminalization of politics, and voter apathy. Democracy is not fortified merely by legislation but by the active and responsible participation of the citizens. To say the least, this requires ongoing reform, rigorous enforcement of the rules now in place, and a well-informed citizens that recognize many games and values those that serve the democratic aspirations of the nation.
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