The Election Commission’s letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge makes the ECI appear to be one of the contestants in the electoral fray. As a longtime observer of the electoral and political scene in India, I write this with great anguish. What prompts this piece is the letter that the Election Commission of India (ECI) […]
After extolling the virtues of the current system, the judgment ends with two directions to the ECI. The 26 April 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court in what has come to be known as the EVM-VVPAT judgment, is not surprising but does leave some loose ends. Reading the entire judgment in totality, some parts […]
There have been ample and unambiguous signals that the electoral bonds story is far from over. On 26 March 2024, former Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary of India Subhash Chandra Garg wrote a piece titled Electoral Bonds Are Now History. Did the Government Let the Donors Down? As the dust was still settling down on […]
The original petition requested only for the EB scheme to be declared unconstitutional. The SC did that but went ahead and also issued directions to SBI and ECI to ensure full implementation of the judgment. This initiative of the apex court must be acknowledged and commended 8 pm of March 14, 2024, was somewhat reminiscent […]
Let’s aim for transparent funding trails and reduced influence of money on poll outcomes While “political party” is not entirely absent as a mention in India’s Constitution, it finds space only in the 10th Schedule, which was added in 1985, brought about by the introduction of an anti-defection law. Otherwise, could it be that the […]
The electoral bonds data in public domain, with secret numbers readable only by ultraviolet light, will continue to be parsed and investigated. But, we also need to, now, think beyond EBs. From its introduction to its cancellation, the road EBs took has made it clear that political party funding reforms are an absolute imperative. Three […]
You can read the article here: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/electoral-bonds-five-facts-five-takeaways/amp_articleshow/108531290.cms. This article was originally published in TOI+.
Given that the law appointing the election commissioners is being challenged in court, the two vacancies in the Election Commission must be filled using the process suggested by the Supreme Court in March 2023 The resignation of Election Commissioner (EC) Arun Goel coupled with the earlier superannuation of EC Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14, […]
SC has batted big for transparency by dismissing SBI’s plea for more time to disclose electoral bonds info. People have a right to be aware of political party funding before they go to polling booths On March 11, SC took up two petitions of national importance. One was State Bank of India’s plea seeking extension […]
Exposure to public scrutiny is one of the known means for getting courageous and credible people to govern. On 15th February 2024, the Supreme Court of India finally paid much-needed tribute to that little man, a citizen, a voter whose contributions to a participatory democracy were incessantly disparaged by the political establishments in recent times. It is […]