Launching ‘Vote Bengaluru,’ a campaign to intervene and improve the electoral process in Bangalore City, Seshan argued that only with government-funding of elections, the electoral system could be cleansed in the country. “Nothing should be barred from including in the expenses of candidates and all expenses should be borne by government,” he added.
The campaign is being jointly organised by Citizens’ Action Forum, CIVIC, Karnataka Kolageri Nivasigala Samyuktha Sanghathane, Public Affairs Centre and Swabhimana.
Asserting that Democracy is a costly affair, Seshan added that the government should not mind spending over Rs 1,000 crore or so towards holding the elections.
To ensure greater participation of people in voting, he suggested that like ration cards, voters identity cards should be made compulsory for various purposes.
Right to disagree
However, Seshan did not agree with the view that voting should be made compulsory for all eligible citizens. “The centrality of Democracy is the right to disagree; those who don’t want to vote, have the right not to exercise their franchise,” he contended.
Touching on the lacunae in the electoral system, Seshan regretted that most people in the country did not know how to get their names included in the electoral rolls.
The second lacunae was that voters’ list was treated as “top secret” in the country. “People come to know about missing of their names only at the time of voting. Please put the voters list on the net”, Seshan told the State Chief Electoral Officer Ramasheshan, who was present on the dais.
Magsaysay Award winner Ruth Manorama of Women’s Voice observed that due to heavy corruption and also criminalisation, many educated were averse to entering politics.
Ramasheshan observed that due to lack of transparency, the urban citizens were not able to involve themselves in the process of preparation of electoral rolls. “Moreover in cities like Bangalore, the electoral rolls change by the time they get ready,” he remarked.
He called upon the educated spirited citizens to get involved with the State Election Commission in identifying bogus voters.
