The authors of this article are Prof Jagdeep Chhokar (Founder Member & Trustee of ADR) & Mr Jaskirat Singh (Trustee of ADR). The Neta app, which sprung up last year and allows users to rate their leaders, has some murky connections to media houses, political analysts and big businesses, raising red flags on the possible […]
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Implementing NOTA in the right spirit
Maharashtra and Haryana have shown the way In People’s Union For Civil Liberties v. Union Of India (September 27, 2013), the Supreme Court had ruled that a None of the Above (NOTA) option “may be provided in EVMs” so that voters are able to exercise their “right not to vote while maintaining their right of […]
The case of the missing voters
Two ex-CECs have been quoted as saying that the UIDAI had lobbied long and hard to link voter IDs and Aadhaar as a way to legitimise the controversial biometric ID project. In early 2018, about 6.6 million voters-out of a total of 50 million-were found missing from the Karnataka electoral rolls. More than 1.5 million […]
The Supreme Court Seems to Be Vacillating Between Being Progressive and Regressive
When it comes to cases of a political nature, the phenomenon of vacillation seems particularly pronounced as seen when the SC ruled against debarring persons with criminal cases pending against them from contesting elections. The Supreme Court of India seems to be vacillating between being progressive and regressive. Of course, the nature of the issue […]
Opposition wants paper ballot in 2019: No faith in EVMs or excuse for fear of losing to BJP?
A majority of opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded a return to ballot paper or cross-checking of at least 30 per cent of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs). The demand was put forth at an all-party meet convened by the Election Commission Monday to discuss electoral reforms. Critics, however, believe that the opposition is […]
Opposition wants paper ballot in 2019: No faith in EVMs or excuse for fear of losing to BJP?
A majority of opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded a return to ballot paper or cross-checking of at least 30 per cent of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs). The demand was put forth at an all-party meet convened by the Election Commission Monday to discuss electoral reforms. Critics, however, believe that the opposition is […]
Capping Political Parties’ Poll Spends: Will It Work?
The Election Commission of India is reported to have “proposed to the Law Ministry that a ceiling may be stipulated on election expenditure by political parties towards Parliamentary or Assembly elections.” Limits on what a candidate can spend on her/his election have been stipulated for a long time. Candidates are required to submit the expenditure incurred on […]
Who bought and sold electoral bonds to political parties? SBI refuses to divulge again
State Bank of India (SBI) has once again refused to divulge details, sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, of the Electoral Bond (EB) sale data of donors and recipient political parties, even though admitting that whatever little information it had was “goofed up” while handing it over to senior RTI activist, Venkatesh […]
SBI Accepts It Goofed Up RTI Data About Buyers of Electoral Bonds
While agreeing that the information officer made a mistake on electoral bonds sales data, the bank has said it won’t give information on donors and recipient political parties under the RTI. In June 2018, the State Bank of India (SBI) refused to disclose information about the buyers of electoral bonds (EBs) and the political parties […]
Why independents fail to make a mark in elections
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two […]