Re: [nukkad] Query about ballot papers

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Venu, Azim, Rohit! Don't bycott the system like militants. Work to
highlight its deficiencies and bring improvement in it.

- Rawat

Rawatji, I was not advocating boycotting the election!. If you will read my
earlier mail once again, you will see that I had mentioned the option of
choosing the lesser devil. I had mentioned the various options available to
the discerning voter and one of them was voting for the lesser devil.  And
the suggestion to include 'none of the above' option in the ballot paper was
to address a known deficieny in the system. In the earlier post, I had
explained why I expect it to improve the system. At the cost of repetition,
I will eleborate it again.

I supported the suggestion for an option in the ballot paper 'None of the
above" because 
(1)it will help in drawing the wary voters to the polling booth by providing
them an opportunity to express their opinion about the candidates. Once they
start participating in the voting, they will of course take a hard look at
the candidates. That is what voting is all about. And eventually, such
doubting thomases could be braught back to the system from which they are
staying away at present. 
(2) If large number of voters do express such dissatisfaction about
candidates, Political Parties will be constrained to review their strategy.
Since the margin of victory in most constituencies are small, Political
parties may find it worth wooing such voters to their fold by fielding
candidates with clean image. 
(3) I believe that the electoral system should not force to voters to select
one of the option and should provide an opportunity to express his
dissatisfaction with the candidate also. I am not advocating the concept of
Negative vote whereby the voter votes against a particular candidate rather
than in favour of a candidate. No, that is not the intention. But if I
consider all of them unworthy of my vote I must have an option other than
staying away from polling booth. If there are many like-minded voters in a
constituency, their collective voice will force political parties to field
better candidates. 
(4) It is childish to say that if I am not satisfied with candidates, I can
put myself up as an candidate. Candidate's list including my name will not
meet Rawatji's expectations, so Rawatji also becomes a candidate, but azim
still doesn't like it so he too becomes a candidate! There is no end to this
and it will only derail the election system. As it is large number of
candidates is the bane of Indian electoral system. 
(5) Your suggestion for campaigning and exposing candidates or forming
associations are good but that can be acted upon only by people who are
sufficiently motivated and is certinly beyond the capabilities of an average
voter - even an educated one. The 'None of the above' option will give every
voter his voice. If the chorus is large enough, it may have a salutory
effect even without anyone risking his life or fighting the estabished
criminals.
(5) The question is how to reform the system. By blindly selecting one of
the available, you are not at all providing any motivation for political
parties to field the best candidate. Inclusion of 'none of the above' option
in ballot paper will not harm the system as it exists now. However, it may,
hopefuly, motivate political parites to field better candidates. 

I am surprised that you read the voice of kashmiri militants in my post. May
be I did not ariculate my thoughts well enough but still I find it
far-fetched to interpret it as a call to boycott the election. As it is,
about 50% of educated urban elite stay away from polls. If the 'none of the
above' option brings at least some of them to the polling booths, it will
strengthen the system. If it pursuades political parties to field good
candidates to woo such votes, it will be good for the country. 

I wonder why you read exactly the opposite meaning to my earlier post! 

V.K.Venugopal



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