Indian Voters Get Right to Reject Election Candidates

"For the election next year, India will have a new button on its electronic voting machines "

What’s been described as an historic judgment by the Supreme Court came in response to a petition filed by an NGO, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties.

Lawyer Sanjay Parekh represented the group in court.

“The Supreme Court in its judgment basically has said that we cannot make a distinction between “right to vote” and “right not to vote”, both have to stand on the same pedestal. Though it is called a negative vote it is in fact a positive vote for the democracy. What you are doing is you are sending a message through your conscience that you don’t want people with money power and tainted records to be elected.

Following the verdict, the court has directed the Election Commission to add an extra button to the electronic voting machine.

Voters who do not wish to vote for any of the contesting candidates can simply press “none of the above”.

The Commission had proposed the button several times in the past but successive government have failed to approve it.

Chief commissioner SV Sampath believes this will make the electoral process more transparent.

“This will go a long way in promoting purity in democracy.”

Similar demands were raised by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare a few years ago.

But Hazare’s former associate Arvind Kejrival says the battle is only half won.

“This could help clean up the country’s political system. But even if the majority of people choose the “none of the above” button, the election still won’t be cancelled. The fight is not yet over. The next step is to make the right to reject meaningful – only if it leads to re-election in a constituency where most voters choose the new button.”

The main opposition party, the BJP, welcomed the decision but still has some concerns, says its spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.

“If it puts pressure on political parties to field candidates with a clean image then we welcome it but at the same time if it leads to political vigilantism we need to weigh the pros and cons.”

But the ruling Congress Party is worried, says MP Shaktram Naik.

“It is like calling for a boycott of the polls and this judgment is definitely going to facilitate that. But what policy is this? How can you encourage people to boycott elections?”

The Election Commission will make sure that the new button is available to voters in the upcoming election.

Senior journalist Vipul Mudgal can’t wait to use this new right.

“The right to reject is a step in the right direction. It will shake the system up a bit and that’s really what’s needed.”

But analysts, like Pankaj Vohra of the daily newspaper, the Hindustan Times, say people are not yet ready for it.

“People still vote on the basis of cast and community. I don’t think the right to reject will make any big difference. It feels good to hear that we have this right, but it can only be successful in an advanced society. In our country, it will remain only in the statutory books and won’t really affect the political process or voting patterns.”

• India
• dirty politician
• electronic voting machines
• election
• Bismillah Geelani