SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2024
Antonio Diniz
With elections round the corner are voters really important for an election? Of course, there is no doubt about it. They are important because without them casting their precious votes no candidate can get elected and thus it is not possible to form a government without there being elected MLAs/MPs by the people. This is the true essence of democracy. Even the Supreme Court of India has acknowledged the importance of the voters by declaring the Electoral Bonds as unconstitutional and illegal as they infringed on the right of information of the voters.
In every election, the authorities as well as the Election Commission of India, constantly reminds, advises and urges the voters to cast their votes without fail, always promising the so-called “free and fair elections”. When an election is held, humongous amounts of money are spent by the candidates and the political parties to entice the voters to come out and cast their vote for them.
Solemn promises are made to the people at the election meetings, during political rallies and other forums, where people gather and listen carefully to political leaders, announcing proudly how earnestly and devotedly they will work to uphold and uplift the constituency, once they are elected as their representatives. That they will work hard for the welfare, progress and the development of every constituency in which the representative is elected. Some even swear solemnly during their campaign that they will always remain in the party on whose ticket they have been elected and they will never defect or change the party no matter what the circumstances are.
Based on what they hear and believe, unsuspecting voters take their voting duty quite seriously and queue up from early morning, in long lines on the day of election, to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice.
Unfortunately, neither the ECI nor the government ever talks about the aftermath of the election. It is normally seen that the role of the voters ends the day he or she casts the vote and then it is all left to the elected members and the political parties to do whatever they want without consulting or taking any opinion or views from the voters.
The elected representatives feel completely free to do whatever they want, such as remain faithfully in the party or defect to any other for their personal convenience and consideration even though they have been voted in by the people. So they freely indulge in activities for the sake of money, position or some other benefits. Many of them do not even respect their own promises nor stick to the party on whose ticket they have been elected.
Taking stock of some of the unfortunate events that happened recently in Goa and other places in India, it appears that the role of the voters is relegated to a limited importance, that of only to cast the vote and then just be a silent bystander to see whatever the elected representative or political party indulge freely and shamelessly in fulfilling their personal ambitions by doing whatever is beneficial to them. Of course all these subversive acts of omission and commission are justified in the name of progress and development for the better future of the constituency where they have been elected.
Thus it’s clear that the role of voter is very limited, just to vote and then be a silent observer, being impotent to do anything that happens after the election. Hence the question is: Is it justified to compel the voters to cast their votes but leave him/her high and dry just like a spectator watching a bullfight? There should be much greater responsibility allotted to voters by allowing them to participate in all that happens post declaration of election results, including the elected candidate’s decision to change the party or defect. This should be his/her democratic right.
Sadly, the system has turned votes into a kind of commodity with a message to the voters, just vote and get out. You are not the king, you have nothing else to do, leave the rest to the politicians.
