Right To Vote: Know Your

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Know your

Right to Vote

Why should you vote?  India is the largest democracy in the world. The right to vote and more importantly the exercise of franchise by the eligible citizens is at the heart of every democracy.

“In times of stress and strain, people will vote”- Anonymous

Why should you vote?  We, the people, through our right to vote have the ultimate power to shape the destiny of country by electing our representatives who run the Government.

“In times of stress and strain, people will vote”- Anonymous

Who elects our Government?  Average polling percentage range = 50-60%  The winning parties obtaining a maximum of 2527% of the total eligible voters' support means support of less than 20% of total voters

“The ballot is stronger than bullets.”

- Abraham Lincoln

Who elects our Government?  Many instances of the winning candidate obtaining fewer votes than required for refund of deposit  So far, no national government in India has been elected with a majority vote  Even the largest parliamentary majorities were based on less than 50% voter support.

“The ballot is stronger than bullets.”

- Abraham Lincoln

Who can vote? You are eligible to vote if: You are an Indian citizen You are 18 years or older You are an Ordinary Resident at your current location i.e. you have been living at your current address for 6 months or longer. “There can no longer be anyone too poor to vote”

Electoral Roll  An electoral roll is a list of all eligible citizens who are entitled to cast their vote in an election. The electoral rolls are prepared Assembly Constituency wise.  To exercise your franchise, the first and foremost requirement is that your name should be in the electoral roll.

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”

Elector’s Photo Identity Card  Mere possession of an EPIC issued to you does not guarantee you your vote, because it is mandatory that your name should appear in the electoral roll.

“Thinking is not to agree or disagree. That is voting.”

Disclosure by candidates Election Commission of India has made it mandatory that all candidates must file an affidavit along with their nomination form with details such as:  his/her criminal antecedents  his/her assets and liabilities and those of his/her spouse and dependents  his/her educational background

“It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting.”

 Any citizen of the country can obtain copies of the nomination form and the affidavit filed by any candidate from the Returning Officer and it shall not be refused.  As a voter you have every right to seek this information and get it. “The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear”

Corrupt practices or Electoral offences  Offering or accepting money or any other gratification either to vote for or not to vote for a particular candidate.  Inducement by way of liquor, feast, gifts, etc. to vote for or not to vote for a particular candidate.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

Corrupt practices or Electoral offences  Inducement to vote or not to vote for a particular candidate on the grounds of religion, caste, community, sectarian beliefs or place of birth.  Threat to an elector of ex-communication if he votes for or against a particular candidate.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

Corrupt practices or Electoral offences  Offer of free conveyance to any elector to go to or from any polling station.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 125 MPs with criminal backgrounds in the 14th Lok Sabha.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples : BJP MP from Gujarat, Babubhai Katara, was held for trying to take a woman abroad on his wife's passport

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples : On March 18, 2007, former Chhattisgarh chief minister, Ajit Jogi, arrested by the CBI in connection with the murder of NCP treasurer Ram Avtar Jaggi

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples : Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, Shibu Soren, was given life imprisonment for murdering his aide.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples : BJP MP, Navjot Singh Sidhu was awarded a suspended sentence of three years for causing the death of a man in a road rage accident.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples :

 Operation Duryodhana: 12 MPs caught on camera receiving cash for raising questions in the Parliament in the interest of the North Indian Small Manufacturers’ Association (NISMA). “Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted  Few samples :

 Operation Chakravyuh: exposed the MPs accepting bribes for giving work contracts under the MPLAD scheme.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”

MPs failing in their duties  Time lost in Slogan shouting, walk-outs, boycotts:  11th Lok Sabha – 5%  12th Lok Sabha – 10%  13th Lok Sabha – 22.4%  14th Lok Sabha – 26%

 Each minute of Parliament costs the exchequer Rs 26,035

Constantly choosing lesser of two evils is still choosing evil

Criminal Charges by State State

Total seats

Criminal Cases

% of state

Daman and Diu

1

1

100%

Jharkhand

14

7

50%

Goa

2

1

50%

Maharashtra

48

19

40%

Punjab

13

5

38%

Bihar

40

16

40%

Kerala

20

6

30%

Uttar Pradesh

80

23

29%

NCT of Delhi

7

2

29%

Gujarat

26

7

27%

Chhattisgarh

11

3

27%

Madhya Pradesh

29

7

24%

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

Criminal Charges by State State

Total seats

Criminal Cases

% of state

Tamil Nadu

39

8

21%

Karnataka

28

6

21%

Haryana

10

2

20%

Orissa

21

3

14%

West Bengal

42

5

12%

Rajasthan

25

3

12%

Andhra Pradesh

42

4

10%

Andaman and Nicobar

1

Arunachal Pradesh

2

Assam

14

Chandigarh

1

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

1

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

Criminal Charges by State State

Total seats

Himachal Pradesh

4

Jammu and Kashmir

6

Lakshadweep

1

Manipur

2

Meghalaya

2

Mizoram

1

Nagaland

1

Puducchery

1

Sikkim

1

Tripura

2

Uttarakhand

5

Total All India

543

Criminal Cases

% of state

128

24%

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

Criminal Charges by Parties Party

Total MPs

Criminal cases

% of party

JMM

5

5

100%

SHS

12

7

58%

NCP

9

5

56%

SAD

8

4

50%

BSP

19

8

42%

JD(U)

8

3

38%

RJD

24

11

46%

AIFB

3

1

33%

JD(S)

3

1

33%

SP

36

11

31%

CPI

10

3

30%

DMK

16

4

25%

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

Criminal Charges by Parties Party

Total MPs

Criminal cases

% of party

LJNSP

4

1

25%

MDMK

4

1

25%

BJP

138

29

21%

INC

145

26

18%

CPM

43

7

16%

BJD

11

1

9%

AGP

2

AIMIM

1

AITC

2

BNP

1

IFDP

1

IND

5

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

Criminal Charges by Parties Party

Total MPs

JKN

2

JKPDP

1

KEC

1

MNF

1

MUL

1

NLP

1

NPF

1

PMK

6

RLD

3

Criminal cases

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

% of party

Criminal Charges by Parties Party

Total MPs

RPI(A)

1

RSP

3

SDF

1

SJP(R)

1

TDP

5

TRS

5

Total

543

Criminal cases

% of party

128

24%

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs BJP

INC

CPM

CPI

BSP

NCP

SP

RJD

Other *

Murder, attempt to murder, culpable murder, causing suicide etc

7

4

2

1

17

0

27

5

24

84

Robbery and dacoity

0

4

0

0

8

0

4

0

1

17

Kidnapping

0

1

0

0

2

0

6

1

2

11

Theft and extortion

1

0

0

0

3

0

13

3

8

28

1

1

Rape

Total

Other violent crimes - using dangerous weapons, causing grievous hurt, assault on woman etc

9

7

3

0

13

2

30

4

20

88

Total violent crimes

17

16

5

1

43

2

80

13

56

229

“No matter whom you vote, the Government always gets in”

Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs BJP

INC

CPM

CPI

BSP

NCP

SP

RJD

Other *

Total

Dishonesty, cheating, fraud, forgery, dealing in stolen property

5

17

6

0

23

0

11

18

7

87

False oaths

5

4

0

0

0

0

0

4

3

16

Defiling place of worship

1

1

Total other serious crimes

11

21

6

0

23

0

11

22

10

104

Total all violent and serious crimes

28

37

11

1

66

2

91

35

66

333

“No matter whom you vote, the Government always gets in”

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