‘Jai ho’ is exactly what fits the Indian political scenario—the 15th lok sabha elections. Hail to the great Indian leaders who flaunt large amount of money provided ‘by the people’ money used ‘for the people’ and at the end of the day when the election is won it is time to ‘bye the people’.
Taking a holistic view of the current situation we can say that the world’s largest democracy is witnessing a spending of money which is about double the amount that was spent on the U.S. presidential elections. According to an estimate Rs.18,000 crores are being used in the Lok Sabha polls, the U.S. presidential election needed to spend Rs. 10,00 crores. Though fighting elections were somehow an expensive affair, this time the expenses reached an astronomical height. Whereas Rs.4,500 crores were being spent on the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, this time it sky-rocketed to Rs.18,000 crores. Here I have no intention of any blame game or to advocate any political party. I intend to question how fair it is for a country to where 81 million people live under poverty-line, the leaders are electioneering using helicopters. According to Hindustan Times as many as 60 helicopters are being chartered this time which costs the MPs Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs per hour!!
The large amount of money is basically used to dupe people. This takes the form of distributing hard cash among the poor people. This practice out rightly contradicts the election related laws framed in 1950s, with the objective that money cannot be used to influence the outcome of elections. Whereas, People’s Representation Act 1951 requires every candidate to maintain complete financial transparency, the state has completely failed to curb the illegal spending on the elections. Let us consider one example. Mumbai, the country’s financial capital has some 11.2 million people living in the slums and it is this Mumbai where, one out of every four MP candidate is a ‘crorepati’ with average value of asset of Rs. 3.4 crores. Abu Asim, an Samajwadi Party candidate has a property of Rs. 124 crores. Now, see the contrast. Dharavi, one time Asia’s largest slum and the infamous living place for the poor, the slum which brought India under Oscar lights has seen no development since the MP elections in 2004. In Dharavi, where the slum population has increased constantly, the shelter for the poor has been decreasing. The slum areas were promised a Rs.15,000 crore redevelopment project and also n number of promises they vanish as the election ends.
Now how fair are those people when they file their election expenses? According to Sec.10A of the People’s Representation Act every candidate is required to file their election expenses to the EC. But this is really questionable that how come we trust the people to be fair who spend Rs. 2 lakh per hour for chartered helicopter when the EC stipulated expense for total campaign is Rs. 25 lakhs?
Taking a holistic view of the current situation we can say that the world’s largest democracy is witnessing a spending of money which is about double the amount that was spent on the U.S. presidential elections. According to an estimate Rs.18,000 crores are being used in the Lok Sabha polls, the U.S. presidential election needed to spend Rs. 10,00 crores. Though fighting elections were somehow an expensive affair, this time the expenses reached an astronomical height. Whereas Rs.4,500 crores were being spent on the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, this time it sky-rocketed to Rs.18,000 crores. Here I have no intention of any blame game or to advocate any political party. I intend to question how fair it is for a country to where 81 million people live under poverty-line, the leaders are electioneering using helicopters. According to Hindustan Times as many as 60 helicopters are being chartered this time which costs the MPs Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs per hour!!
The large amount of money is basically used to dupe people. This takes the form of distributing hard cash among the poor people. This practice out rightly contradicts the election related laws framed in 1950s, with the objective that money cannot be used to influence the outcome of elections. Whereas, People’s Representation Act 1951 requires every candidate to maintain complete financial transparency, the state has completely failed to curb the illegal spending on the elections. Let us consider one example. Mumbai, the country’s financial capital has some 11.2 million people living in the slums and it is this Mumbai where, one out of every four MP candidate is a ‘crorepati’ with average value of asset of Rs. 3.4 crores. Abu Asim, an Samajwadi Party candidate has a property of Rs. 124 crores. Now, see the contrast. Dharavi, one time Asia’s largest slum and the infamous living place for the poor, the slum which brought India under Oscar lights has seen no development since the MP elections in 2004. In Dharavi, where the slum population has increased constantly, the shelter for the poor has been decreasing. The slum areas were promised a Rs.15,000 crore redevelopment project and also n number of promises they vanish as the election ends.
Now how fair are those people when they file their election expenses? According to Sec.10A of the People’s Representation Act every candidate is required to file their election expenses to the EC. But this is really questionable that how come we trust the people to be fair who spend Rs. 2 lakh per hour for chartered helicopter when the EC stipulated expense for total campaign is Rs. 25 lakhs?
