ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES IN INDIA:

The future of democracy and the destiny of our country lie in the way we elect our political leaders.
If democracy is to be accepted as the form of Government of the people, for the people, by the people, it will
only be possible when the electorates are given freehand to exercise their voting rights without coercion,
intimidation and corrupt practices of vote bank politics. The role of the electorates in electoral reforms is
paramount and no amount of legislation in electoral reforms is likely to bring any tangible result. We already
have laws to check electoral malpractices in the form of Peoples Representation Act, Election Code of
Conduct etc. but successful implementation of these Acts and codes has remained illusive in spite of the best
efforts by the Election Commission of Indian.
Money Power Polities
Use of Money Power starts right from the distribution of tickets by the political parties. Most
political parties will ignore the personal qualities of prospective candidates and give importance to
candidates who can contribute maximum to the party corpus and who has fat bank balance to purchase
votes. It is an open secret that in the last Assembly Election in Manipur, most of the candidates spent many
times above the expenditure specified in the Peoples Representation Act. Booth-wise agents are appointed to
purchase floating votes and in some prestigious constituencies per voter budget is Rs. 500-1000/- and crores
of rupees are spent few days before the poll date. There are other methods of purchasing votes like
handsome donations to Clubs and Organisations, largesse to petty party workers, rented crowds for party
meetings, mad shows, rally and campaigns with purchasable crowds. One innovative candidate distributed
thousands of mobile phones to the young lovesick boys and girls and won the election hands down defeating
a political stalwart. The impact of money on election is so great that one cannot dream of becoming a
political leader unless he has adequate funds to purchase votes to win elections. Personal charisma,
contribution to society, intellectual profile of the candidate has taken back seat vis-a-vis money power.
Chances of winning election are directly proportional to the candidates vote purchasing power in most of the
cases. Political parties in their struggle to capture power ignore public morality and encourage party
candidates in using money power and even allocate party funds to candidates.
Muscle Power Polities
Use of muscle power in elections has become one of the biggest challenges in the successful conduct
of free and fair elections in Manipur. Supported by armed groups, muscle power dictates selection of
candidates and party, forcing people against voting freely. The nexus between politicians and armed groups
is a reality for political survival of most of the candidates and political parties in this state. Use of muscle
power is rampant in the form of heavy monetary demands to candidates, imposing ban on filing
nominations, ban on election campaigns, and even forcing people whom to vote for or not to vote. Many
candidates are capitalizing the deteriorating law and order to their advantage to win elections. Seeking

nominations from proscribed militant organisations is the greatest joke of our democracy. There was beeline
of candidates seeking sponsorship from the front backed by the armed group which has completely banned
free and fair election process by any party or candidate other than their own nominee. Election Commission
of India, state election machinery and security forces deployed for free and fair election were mute
spectators to all these electoral melodrama in the last Assembly Election. Candidates not sponsored by the
armed groups were threatened, abducted, assaulted. In many cases party workers were intimidated with
parcels of AK 47 bullets with stern warnings. Election related violence erupted where muscle power was
employed freely. Some political parties have forgotten political ethics and openly took support from banned
armed groups. Unless the trend is reversed future of our young democracy is at stake and elections will
become battlefields where democratic principles are trampled by force.
Vote Bank Polities
Though this malpractice is not considered legally wrong it will have tremendous impact on communal
harmony and unit of the people. Some political parties resorted to politicize every issue concerning the state
in the hope of creating vote banks. Vote bank politics by adopting the policy of appeasement to minority
groups, ethnic zealots, pressure groups without considering the common interests of the people cannot be
accepted. To please a minority group we should not sacrifice the right and privileges of the majority people.
Issues like further reservation of quotas for tribal and Muslim communities, Meetei Mayek Issue, plebiscite
are purely vote bank politics and may be at the cost of merit and overall well-being of the state. When the
majority wishes are ignored for long period and policy of appeasement to minority group, pressure groups
are promoted for vote bank politics beyond reasonable tolerance, it will be more of a time bomb under
manufacture which will one day devastate the social fabric of the state.
Some of the political parties were irresponsible enough to blindly support all anti- India
antiestablishment movements, right or wrong. Luckily, they could not fool all the people all the time and
were defeated miserably in the last election. Except for few parties, almost all opposition parties tried to
create vote bank on issues like Territorial Integrity of Manipur, AFSPA, Irom Sharmila, Tipaimukh Dam,
Plebiscite and even sovereignty of Manipur. Now the votes are over and democratically elected Government
installed and none of the issues or non-issues promoted for vote bank politics could till the mandate of the
people. None of the political parties focused on issues like miserable roads, poor water supply, rampant
corruption, non availability of power supply, deteriorating law and order, chaotic mismanagement of
government departments, unemployment, underdevelopment and many other issues affecting the day to day
life of the common people. Therefore, we the Senior Citizens for Society would like to appeal the electorates
of both Khundrakpam and Khangabok Assembly Constituencies where bye elections are being held, not to
yield to these malpractices. Please feel free and vote for the candidate whom you think the best. But, please
do not accept bribes, gifts or be coerced by any candidate or party.

Media Malpractices
There is another trend in election malpractices committed by electronic and print media. Everybody
understands the important role played by the media and media persons in a democratic society. It is more so
in democratic elections where media reporting, publication of political views, projection of the party and
candidates images have direct impact on the voting pattern in any election. These powers of the media
should respond to democratic needs, deliver services efficiently and equitably and maintain a high degree of
public trust, accountability and transparency. On the other hand, instances of favoritism, wrong projection of
images of party and candidates, partisan views are tantamount to sabotaging democratic principles.
Misquoting. misreporting, publication of misleading news and views are some of the malpractices
committed by media persons. We believe that our media persons are men of integrity and they will not
misuse the trust of the people.
Other Malpractices
The Election Commission of India, state election machinery, the party in power, public servants on
election duties and election observers, sevurity personnel on election duty have tremendous responsibilities
in conducting free and fair election. Malpractices like rigging, both capturing, proxy voting ect. could be
minimised and totally eradicated if these mnachineries perform their duties in letter and spirit. Election
related violence, if it is engineered to promote partisan gains may be termed as a malpractice and should be
dealt with accrodingly. Electioneering with the aim of exploiting sentimental local, ethnic or regional issues,
religious

or

communal

sentiments

may

also

be

termed

as

indirect

malpractices.

Remedial Measures
As long as the electoral malpractices continue, the democracy will never be the government of the
people and wishes of the people will remain a distant dream. Public awareness of democratic rights, political
awareness of the voters is the main impetus to be given for the remedial measures. The voters have to act
individually and collectively to protect their democratic rights, express their explicit condemnation of acts of
violence, intimidation, impersonation and other malpractices, regardless of their support for any party and
make every effort to prevent such acts. The voters should resolve to reject candidates who have committed
or condoned acts of violence and malpractices even if such candidates belong to the party of the voter choice
and exclude them from their preference vote at the election. All citizens should promote public awareness
and create public opinion against political violence and malpractices in any form by any party and help to
develop a genuine democratic political culture.
All citizens should understand that every pie spent by the elected government in the development of the
country is the citizens own money and government is not doing a favour to anyone but performing their
duties. When the voters take bribe and vote politicians indulging in malpractice of money power politics,
they are certainly voting for a corrupt government as such politicians treat democratic elections as business

of huge investment and huge returns. Such politicians are likely to commit daylight robbery of public funds
in order to recoup with profit the investment in bribing the voters at the time of election. You may get Rs.
500/- or 1000/- for five years surrendering of your political right, but such politicians are going to loot in
crores in that five years. As long as we allow Money Power in election, our democratic rights will remain
forfeited. The present system is not working effectively to curb money and muscle power in electoral
process and can not protect the genuine political rights of the people. Now the situation has reached such a
stage which demands electoral reforms. Public funding of election expenditure of candidates, review of the
existing election code of conduct, strengthening the election campaign monitoring systems are some of the
points which require serious debates and discussions for framing effective electoral laws. We stand for
genuine democratic rights of the people, call for free and fair elections and therefore demand for Electoral
Reforms.