Wide-ranging poll reforms are essential to transform India’s quantitativedemocracyinto a truly qualitative system-one that could serve as a model for other nations. It is concerning that highly educated officers from the IAS and allied services are sometimes directed by political leaders with limited education. Even more troubling is that invalid votes still appear in elections for the President and Vice President, where onlyMPsand MLAs are eligible to vote.
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To address these issues, there should be a minimum educational qualification for anyone contesting elections. A possible solution is to create an “Indian Political Service” modeled on the “Indian Administrative Service (IAS).” This would curb the misuse of politics as a family enterprise and restore its purpose as a tool for public service. Historical experience shows that senior bureaucrats often perform exceptionally well when appointed as ministers, whereas less-educated ministers have, in some cases, failed to secure a second term due to poor performance. Implementing such poll reforms would strengthen democracy and ensure capable leadership across government offices.
Additional wide-ranging poll reforms must be urgently implemented without waiting for the often-elusive political consensus. Consider the case of George Fernandes, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha despite severe health issues that impaired his memory. This reveals the need for medical fitness certificates and stricter eligibility criteria before candidates are allowed to contest elections. An RTI response even revealed that his oath as a Rajya Sabha member was read aloud by a party colleague-a clear indication that current systems fail to safeguard democratic norms.
Ideally, elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and municipal bodies should be held simultaneously in a three-tier system. Similarly, elections for the President and Vice President should also be synchronised, conducted by all MPs and MLAs throughEVMswithVVPAT, and with nominations supported by at least 34% of MPs to ensure direct legitimacy.
In cases of vacancies, the Vice President could serve as interim President, or MPs could elect an interim Vice President. If both offices are vacant, fresh simultaneous elections should be conducted immediately, rather than waiting for the five-year cycle. Such poll reforms would strengthen the efficiency, fairness, and credibility of India’s democracy.
Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, along with Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the lower Houses, should be elected through secret and compulsory votes of House members using EVMs equipped with VVPAT, with nominations supported by at least 34% of members. Such leaders could also be removed through the same process, but only if an alternate leader is proposed in the same motion. Members who abstain from voting could forfeit their voting rights in the House, even while retaining membership. Without implementing such poll reforms, the vision of “One Nation, One Election” cannot be realised, as mid-term elections continue to arise from hung Lok Sabha or state assemblies and government collapses. Even sitting Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Speakers, and Deputy Speakers could be re-elected under this system, ensuring stability in democracy.
Source: The Probe: Investigative Journalism & In-Depth News Analysis
