Buying votes during Indian elections is a major issue that has plagued the country’s democracy. It is an unethical practice that political parties use to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents. The act of giving money to people in exchange for their vote is illegal and punishable by law.
According to India Today, election funding in India remains an opaque, black money-driven exercise, and the ‘reforms’ have only made it worse. The government has introduced three major changes since in the mechanics of political funding in India- political parties can now receive foreign funds; any company can donate any amount of money to any political party; and any individual, group of people or company can donate money anonymously to any party through electoral bonds. All three provisions, it has been argued, instead of increasing transparency, have made the process even more opaque than earlier.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced several measures to curb the practice of vote buying. One such measure is the Election Deposit Rule. A deposit is a sum of money that must be paid by the candidate to the Election Commission of India at the time of nomination in an election. A candidate or party may lose their deposit if they fail to secure 1/6th percentage of votes in an election 1.
It is important to note that bribing voters is not just limited to giving money. Voters may be given other rewards for voting in a particular way, or not voting. In some jurisdictions, the offer or giving of other rewards is referred to as “electoral treating” 23.
In conclusion, buying votes is a serious offense that undermines the democratic process. It is important for the Election Commission of India to take strict action against those who engage in such practices. Political parties must also be held accountable for their actions and should be transparent about their sources of funding. Only then can India’s democracy truly flourish.
