Day: January 8, 2012

Elections for the tenth Assembly elections will be held on Jan 28. This election is different from earlier ones with new do’s and don’ts issued by the ECI. The ECI is trying to make the elections held in a free and fair manner. The primary focus is to stop misuse of power, money. The election process in our country is yet in an experimental phase. Our country is conducting the largest elections in the entire world every five years for state Assemblies and Lok Sabha. When we focus on the move to curtail move to bribe voters a debate is raging; are we denying the voters to know their candidates well. Voters and newspapers are also not allowed to love some candidates too much, it will affect the candidate as the propaganda would be counted as election expenditure of the candidate. Do not hate or love too much is the new mantra. Whatever one has to do, one has to do it in a discreet manner without exposing. Ours is quite different from the American elections where there is rather a competition to get maximum donors and supporters openly. In the present scenario the media will not be highlighting much about the candidates and we wonder if the voters have been denied the right to know about their candidates. It is a new experiment and there are lots of grey areas which need to be rectified. It will be coming with each passing elections. The end effect is the election scenario in the state. Unlike previous elections we do not see much campaigning . When there is too much restrictions things tend to be done in a secret way. Manipur is a dry state but liquor is found plenty. Some candidates will take advantage of the new rules and frame some secret policies. It can not be rejected outrightly, political forces are extremely powerful anywhere. The real challenge before the Commission is now giving equal opportunities to the candidates, is it possible now as Congress candidates and supporters are under attack. We would love to see good candidates winning the elections, we have seen enough show of money power. Prior to the election the candidates were talking about their money power and the candidates took over the real administration of the state, repairing roads, giving power supplies and what not. Lots of voter awareness programmes are also required. The political class will not take much interest in it, there has to be special fund for it which should be monitored by an autonomous body preferably the ECI. How do we choose our candidates ? It has to be based on their political caliber, not their money power. The trend of rich candidates winning elections should be checked. So many people who earned money the wrong way are elected and elected people also start thinking of earning money to win the next elections. It breeds corruption. It has to be checked and election is the first step to checking corruption and choosing the right people to lead us and govern us and show the right path. Dethrone the evil doers and elect the righteous.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/election-tempo/