SPECIAL ARTICLE Black Money and Politics in India Jagdeep S Chhokar The issue of black money in politics in India is multifaceted. A number of questions about its role in politics, how it is generated, its volume, its ill effects, and how it can be eliminated do not have answers that are always specific or […]
A question of election funding
Illustration by Tanmoy Chakraborty The Election Commission of Indias reported response, to a Right to Information (RTI) application, stating that political parties are not within the purview of the RTI created quite a stir. To quote the ECI: [The] requisite information is not available [with] the Commission. This is related to political parties and […]
Know your leaders: 24% of newly-elected Karnataka MLAs face serious criminal charges
By Maj. Gen. Anil Verma (Retd) The results are in for Karnataka but the jury is out as to who will provide a stable government due to the hung verdict of the electorate. The next two weeks will be full of political action and drama with the Governor, Opposition, BJP and the Supreme Court […]
Need to change electoral system to serve people – By Prof. Trilochan Sastry
Even a T-20 match could not have been more exciting. But the stakes in elections are far higher than in a cricket match. Right up to the end, the BJP was moving towards a decisive win and there were celebrations about it forming a government on its own. At the last moment, the results […]
No demand for Electoral Bonds of smaller denomination
There was an intense debate around the introduction of electoral bonds by the government. Data obtained from SBI reveals that there is hardly any demand for electoral bonds of smaller denomination while 99.9% of bonds sold in terms of amount are of Rs 10 lakh & Rs 1 crore denomination. The Electoral Bonds were first […]
Know your candidate: 15% Karnataka poll hopefuls face criminal charges
The Karnataka state polls are scheduled for May 12. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. By Anil Verma With only a few days remaining before the Karnataka state polls scheduled for May 12, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysed the affidavits of about 96% of the candidates. The study revealed some shocking facts about gender disparity, as well as the […]
The Worst Fears About Electoral Bonds Have Been Confirmed
An investigation by The Quint has revealed that the much-hailed electoral bonds, which were to have ushered in an era of taint-free financing for political parties, carry a secret number “visible on the right top corner of the original document showing fluorescence when examined under Ultra Violet (UV) Light.” The saga of electoral bonds started with the Budget […]
नख-दंत मजबूत करें चुनाव आयोग
पांच विधानसभाओं के चुनाव अंतिम दौर में हैं। आखिर, चुनाव आयोग ने अब जाकर धर्म-जाति के आधार पर भड़काऊ बयान देकर वोट मांगने वालों को चेतावनी है। क्या चुनाव आयोग का कर्तव्य चेतावनी के बाद समाप्त हो जाता है? या फिर, इसके अलावा वह और भी कुछ कर सकता है? पांच राज्यों में विधानसभा चुनावों […]
पारदर्शिता से परहेज करते राजनीतिक दल
केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग के फैसले को डस्टबिन में डालने के बाद सरकार राजनीतिक दलों को सूचना अधिकार कानून 2005 के दायरे से बाहर करने की जुगत में है। सरकार के इस प्रस्ताव पर लेफ्ट-राइट किसी के भी ऐतराज करने की गुंजाइश नहीं है। पारदर्शिता और खुलासा हमेशा से ‘पड़ोस’ की वस्तु रहे हैं और राजनीतिक […]
The case against simultaneous polls
If concurrent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were to be a reality, it would go against the political diversity essential for addressing the social diversity of India. Though spoken about for quite a few years, simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies seem to be fast on their way to becoming a matter […]