Money & people's mandate

Public funding of elections, inspired by global models, could strengthen democracy, transparency, and accountability in India—ultimately safeguarding the prospects of fair elections

- FR. JOHN FELIX RAJ & PRABHAT KUMAR DATTA

As the world's largest democracy, India boasts an impressive 815 million voters, a number comparable to the combined electorate of Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia. In a democracy, the people are sovereign, and elections provide a platform for them to exercise their choice and determine who will govern on their behalf. This process lends legitimacy to the ruling party or coalition, enabling them to govern the citizens.

The history of elections in India is a testament to the relentless struggle of freedom fighters, which culminated in landmark legislations such as the Indian Councils Act of 1909 and the Government of India Act of 1935. Although these efforts did not yield the desired results, they laid the groundwork for the Constitution of India, which established the Election Commission of India. The Commission is tasked with ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

However, the flaws in India's electoral system became a subject of public debate and discussion after 1971. Several committees were constituted to examine these issues, including the Tarkunde Committee (1975), the Dinesh Goswami Committee (1990), the Vohra Committee (1993), the Election Commission's report (1998), the Indrajit Gupta Committee, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2001), and the Second Administrative Reforms Committee (2008). Furthermore, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice established a Committee on Electoral Reforms in 2010. Despite these efforts, loopholes continue to plague India's electoral system.

The growing influence of money power in Indian electoral politics is a critical flaw that undermines the democratic process. In India, there's a tendency to favour wealthy candidates, as seen in the 2014 national election where candidates' median wealth was Rs 23.8 lakh, approximately 27 times the nominal per capita income of India.