Even the unprecedented can be unsurprising. For the first time, the Election Commission of India has been forced to countermand an election to the Rajya Sabha: in Jharkhand, following “incidents of horse-trading” and attempts to influence the electors — Members of the Legislative Assembly — by offering cash for votes. Until now, the bribing of electors has never been a visible factor in elections to the Upper House of Parliament, unlike in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, where the poll process is routinely suspended as candidates come up with different ways of luring or pressuring voters. However, the seizure of Rs.2.15 crore in cash from a car belonging to the brother of an independent candidate in the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand could not have come as a total shocker. The surprise, actually, was in the seizure, not in the attempt to bribe. When the candidates are few and the electorate is small, as is always the case in Rajya Sabha elections, malpractices normally escape public attention. Jharkhand certainly was not the first instance of moneybags seeking easy entry into the Rajya Sabha. Industrialists and businessmen have always found a way to enter the Upper House. The preferred mode of operation, however, is striking a deal with top party leaders, not individual MLAs. In recent times, several industrialists or their representatives and lobbyists have entered the Rajya Sabha through this door with little or no affiliation to the party that supported them. Once elected, these MPs are under no obligation to their electors, and further their own personal or business agenda in Parliament.
The Jharkhand case, however, has its peculiarities. Two seats were at stake in the Rajya Sabha election, but no party was in a position to win even one without the help of others. With five candidates, including two independents, in the fray, the field was wide open for a dark horse. The Bharatiya Janata Party at first announced its support for a Non-Resident Indian businessman, but backtracked following criticism. It later talked of abstaining from the vote, but finally announced support for its ally, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. In such circumstances, the two independents, both with considerable financial clout, must have fancied their chances, and lobbied hard with the MLAs. The EC did the right thing in countermanding the election after the cash seizure as the situation was getting murkier by the hour. But unless it is able to prove wrongdoing by some of the candidates, and then disqualify them, the same set of circumstances will be repeated when the elections are held again.
Whatever happened to Shiela Dixit's son who forgot'10'lakhs in a railway compartment or our present President's son who was caught with a lot of cash he said he was distributing to Congress candidates. Why is the media not following up on such reports or how Robert Vadra became so rich almost overnight?
EC had done an awesome job. EC should be made more powerful to promote democracy.
The Election commission has set the correct precedent for checking the
menace of corruption in the democratic election process. These
businessmen in pursuit of their own interests adopt unethical means to
gain entry into the Upper House. The incidence of bribing the
independent MLAs is a blot in the election process and must be stopped
from spreading.
While it is true that corruption is deeply ingrained in our system, I, most humbly, would like to strongly disagree with the views expressed. The recent surge against corruption that witnessed unprecedented participation by youths and which eventually forced the government to introduce the Lokpal bill, no matter how diluted, shows that not everything is lost. Our youth and our coming generation, if well educated and duly informed, have the potential to rid India of all its ills. They are our only hope. We just cannot afford to blunt our most powerful weapon. We need to educate them well and instill hope and confidence in them so that they are better prepared to fight the ills of our society, not to surrender to them or run away from them. And when they arrive, it will not be long before the corrupt system is uprooted as happened in Arab World where decades of corrupt regimes was overthrown in just a few months. And that is how a vibrant and better India will emerge.
And the very same people get furious when Team Anna calls a spade, a spade. People are losing faith in these institutions. Has anything fruitful come out of the Rajya Sabha in recent times.
Hats on to Election commission of India which is battling the lone battle of cleaning the election system. Politicians have their 'Izzat' in their own hands to destroy or what they want, but EC is always in to make it good. It is in politician's favour to support the EC's hands and come clean.
Our Election Commission(EC) has been doing a good job in upholding the values of democracy in India. We have seen the commendable jobs done by the Election Commission in past during the assembly elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. It is another praiseworthy step taken by the EC to countermand an election to the Rajya Sabha: in Jharkhand, following 'incidents of horse-trading' and attempts to influence the electors - Members of the Legislative Assembly - by offering cash for votes. This will surely go a long way in paving the smooth way for the future of Indian Democracy. Our society is blessed to have a rational and educated middle class and well trained civil servants who are heading such esteemed positions as the secretaries and commissioners and steering the governance in the right direction. Corruption and malpractices are prevalent in our society and it is our responsibility not to accept then and whatever,however and wherever we must oppose them and with due rationality.
Dear Hindu, Please can you let us know how the independent nominees further their own personal or business agenda in Parliament.
That the Election Commission succeeded in initiating early and appropriate action by countermanding the poll is a matter of pride to safeguard the largest and the most complex democracy. But how long the institutional alacrity can continue to save it? It is time that drastic cleansing actoins are initiated to purge our democracy of the recalcitrant elements.
It is quite depressing to learn that values (hardwork pays) we have learnt in childhood are a liability now. I am consciously guiding my daughter (9 yrs old) how to work within a corrupted system. I am not permitting her to learn anything about Gandhi or his values. I am teaching her how return-on-investment works and preparing her to have one foot out of India as hard-work does not pay in India.
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