MILLSTONE AROUND OUR NECKS
The election scenario is getting murkier day by day, with a third front and
absolutely opportunistic politicians making a mockery of democracy, which is
supposed to be OF, By and For the people. The Election Commission members
itself are at loggerheads, with the CEC recommending dismissal of Navin Chawla
who is the next designated CEC! The politicians will not let us have the option
of “None of the Above”, and so the same old faces keep being put up as
candidates, millstone around our neck. The electorate has to choose one of them
if they want to caste their precious vote. Further the political parties have
their vote banks formed by fair means and foul. How do we make a dent in the
winnable candidate syndrome? How do we get the parties to give tickets to
worthy young, physically and mentally fit candidates with no criminal
background? How do we minimize purchased, bribed, vested interests results?
We have to push the ECI to follow up their recommendations in Electoral Reforms
more forcefully. If they do not succeed, we have the legal option of
registering our presence at the booth, but declining to vote. This in itself is
meaningless, because it is as if you do not exist. But we can make this non
voting count! I am writing to the ECI, and I would urge all consciencous
electorate namely all those who want to send the message loud and clear that
we the people will not tolerate their winnable unwanted candidates who help
them double cross us and to recover their election expenses etc. cock a snoot
at us knowing we have no power of recall or are impotent till the next
elections.
We request the ECI to get us the “None of the above” button, failing which to
keep a Register at the booth, where all who do not want to vote due all
unsuitable candidates, enter their EPIC card number and sign as a conscientious
objector( which we are legally entitled to do so). This will also help the ECI
to check that the electronic machine does not record more votes than there are
electors! And if there are considerable non electors recorded (of course
legally not valid) than the electors, the cat will be out of the bag and true
democratic people power will have been able to peacefully make its presence
felt. Unless there is a better solution, we can do it this way!
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