Right to vote ..

On the 10th of May 2023, the Legislative assembly elections to Karnataka assembly elections were help by the Election Commission of India. Karnataka became a state on the first of November 1956 and ever since we have been having elections in Karnataka every five years.

Right to franchise enables people above the age of eighteen to vote in India. Indian democracy rests on this privilege and right given to all citizens to vote. 

But are citizens exercising their franchise responsibly. 

 

Universal adult franchise means the right of all citizens to vote who are 18 years and above, regardless of caste, education, religion, race, or ethnicity. Article 326 of the Indian Constitution describes Universal Adult Suffrage as the basis for elections to all levels of an elected government.

 

There are two causes of concern to the ordinary citizen here. They are 

1. the existence of bogus voting - with the connivance of the Election Commission officials and the ruling party, now Bharatiya Janata Party. 

2. Given that the electoral process was clean, if the victorious candidates after election results are announced shift their political stand and join parties waiting for a majority for material reasons. The Indian legal system says this defection is not possible for individual victorious candidates, but can be done by a group whose strength in the assembly is ten percent of more or something like that.

 

Either way the voter is being cheated.

 

The electoral process is so sacred that not party or individual should be able to subvert the process for their minor material gain. 

Let us hope in this Karnataka assembly elections all political parties stick to this model code of conduct and promise not to resort to horsetrading and buying of MLAs to get a simple majority in the assembly.

Satyameva Jayate.  Let us respect the intelligence of the voter and work for the country.

George.