ELECTIONS 2014 -ELECTION COMMISSION -ELECTION CODE - POLITICAL LEADERS - MEDIA - WHAT SHOULD CHANGE? HOW?

ELECTIONS 2014

WHAT SHOULD CHANGE?

 

Acts and Rules and their implementation must be Pragmatic and marching ahead with Times.

If they stagnate ,they become dogmatic.Actually, every Rule and every Act must be subjected to thorough review once in 5 years. They will need change - to march with changing times and conditions.

This is not happening in India.

Look at the way, the Election code is getting implemented. Some times, it is bordering on the ridiculous. Some times, it is too lenient. some times, it is too Harsh. Some times appropriate.

We can't blame individuals enforcing the election code or the polling code - if the code itself has stagnated for decades. Yet, some pragmatism should prevail.

Some years ago, when there were assembly elections in Tamilnadu, somebody captured Rajnikanth casting his Vote inside the booth. 

And, the Media took up and said - Rajnikanth voted for a particular party and thus embarrassing the Actor. If I remember right, the Actor had then said, no I voted for some other party. But, as far as I remember, the Election Commission, at that time, did not invalidate Rajnikanth's vote and did not penalize the persons who capturing his voting or the media who showed it.

Now, Shri Chandrababu Naidu is understood to have said that he voted for his party for the assembly elections and for BJP, which is his ally, for the Parliament Elections. The News is, the EC is likely to invalidate Naidu's vote. This, to my mind, looks ridiculous. Who, on earth, does not know that this is how Naidu would have voted - unless he had suddenly gone mad after entering the Polling Booth?

Dr.Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanks Vadra, Rahul Gandhi , Digivijay Singh, Mr.Chidambaram have all voted for Congress - unless they too had gone mad suddenly - after entering the Polling Booth. Likewise, Advani, Jaitley, Sushma and others of their Party had voted for BJP - unless (again) something happened to their brains on entering the Polling Booth.

These are plain, transparent, simple, honest Facts. These were their well Known Positions and not something New. I don't think any of these worthies can deny that this is the factual position regarding their voting. 

Who on earth does not know that this is their voting pattern? How will that influence some other X or Y to change his decision?

How can anybody think that these statements would influence others and make them change their own, already decided, Voting pattern? And, Naidu has only said, this is how, I have voted. 

It is up to others, for whom they would vote. Do we think that KCR and Jagan (or any of their followers) would have suddenly changed their mind and voted for TDP?

Also, let us, for argument sake, assume, 1 lakh partymen of X political Party wantonly, falsely and OPENLY say that they voted for Y political party; Will the Election Commission invalidate 1 Lakh votes polled for Y Political Party? is this not ridiculous to go by OUTSIDE SPOKEN WORD, when the vote itself was cast in SECRET?

It was OK and sensible to prevent the Press and Media from conducting surveys and declaring the results before Polls. These can certainly influence Polls in many ways. But, to say that party leaders should not say that they have voted for their party - is plain ridiculous - and to invalidate their vote is meaningless. These rules should change.

Likewise, Modi voted and went back from the Booth. At a far away place, press people meet him impromptu and ask him questions. Election commission is not preventing the press and Media from meeting leaders and televising their statements. I think, all the Press and media should have been prevented for 3 days - the previous day, the Polling day and the next day - from airing / writing any views of any political leader. 

The Election commission did not do that - which was the most effective and practical way of implementing its election code. 

Modi may have taken off the Lotus symbol from his shirt or Pocket during the impromptu press conference. The Media is particularly highlighting the symbol, just to embarrass Modi. Then, whose fault is it? The Media who have highlighted it immediately all over India should have been gagged. They should have been ordered not to telecast 'anything' for next 3 days. Then the election code gets implemented. 

Otherwise, how can you prevent Lotus symbol from being everywhere. It is there everywhere as of today - not just in the hands of Modi. If everywhere it is there, why it should not be in Modi's Hands in a private place? The press and Media must adhere to the code and not Televise it. If they violate the code, why Penalize Modi?

Can we say, that day, there should be No Lotuses in any Pond or in any Market?

Somebody's symbol is CAR. He and all his party men come only in CAR, vote, and then leave in a CAR, going all through the city, displaying their CAR. Are they not showing their Party symbol to the entire town and even within 100 metres of the Polling Booth?

Somebody's symbol is CYCLE. They all come on CYCLES only on polling day - even if they all own cars. Then, they go back after voting, pedalling their CYCLES all through the city. Have they not violated the Polling Code?

One Party's symbol is the 'Hand'. All of their leaders are prominently showing their Hand Just like the PARTY SYMBOL just outside the Polling Booth - AND  NO ONE can mistake their obvious reference to their HAND SYMBOL. They are showing the HAND as the SYMBOL to all those who are in the Queue - for voting. Many of their Party men are doing it, not just leaders.

Were there no JHADUS even inside any of the Polling Booths? If so, Why was the Election commission showing a Particular Party symbol to all Voters inside the Polling Booths?

Was nobody showing the HAND SYMBOL inside the Polling Booth?

How can Election commission slap FIRs on one and not do so on the others who have shown their Election Symbol right before the Polling Booth!

The Election commission has done nothing to leaders who called their opponent party leaders as Butchers and Saitans. Is there no Election Code applicable to them?

All this looks a little odd - all these things which must change.

This said - out of all actors in this Election Fray - it is the Election commission, which, despite some omissions and commissions, emerges as really clean and efficient. Its hands need to be strengthened. But, the Election code itself needs thorough revamp.

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