Having a deep discourse over electoral reforms in India, EC sets charged to run extra mile achieve common objectives

News Bharati    04-Jul-2019
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New Delhi, July 4: Discussing over the need for electoral reforms in India under rule 176, the upper parliamentary house on Wednesday argued for having common voters list for all elections, further appealing for deliberation on one nation one election.
 
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while participating in the said discussion said that the voter today knew the value of vote. Further attacking the opposition for continuing to raise doubts over EVMs, he said that till date no specific complaint on EVMs had been proved in the courts of law or otherwise. 

 
While 14 opposition parties including Congress, TMC had given notice for the discussion on poll reforms, the centre strongly supported the idea of one nation one poll adding that scattered election schedule for various polls is countr-productive. Prasad meanwhile specifically highlighted the high expenditure matrix of conducting polls separately.
 
Earlier initiating the discussion, Derek O Brien of Trinamool Congress raised a number of issues. Talking about EVMs and working of the Election Commission, he expressed concern over issues of interference by international agencies and social media platforms in election in the country.
 
Putting forth the government's perspective over the issue, Sr BJP leader Bhupinder Yadav said that the elections were not an end in themselves but a means to ensure good governance. He defended the idea of One Nation One Election. Taking a shot at some opposition parties, he also raised the need for internal party democracy within political parties.
 
Host of other issues such as poll expenditure, role of media, criminalization of politics were also taken up. With its spirited reply the government has made its intentions clear that electoral reforms might be a long and difficult path to tread, but it is prepared to go an extra mile achieve the common objectives.