Defects of the Indian election system:
a) Influence of money: According to the Company Law 1956, companies can give any amount of money as contributions to the candidate or the political parties. The influence of these rich people will be found in the elected candidates and naturally, they won’t be just or impartial in their decisions.
b) Violence in Politics: Politics becomes an arena where muscle power plays a role. There is impersonation and booth capturing. Agents of rival candidates are attacked. People are threatened and so some people prefer not to vote. With this kind of activities, even criminals and criminally minded people get elected.
c) Influence of Caste and Religion: According to law, no candidate can seek vote in the name of religion, caste, community or language. But many candidates somehow try to exploit these emotions in the voters. Recently the election of a candidate in Punjab was canceled by the Supreme Court as he canvassed votes in the name of religion.
d) Concessions given during Election Time: Governments often embark on people-friendly projects just before the election. There are loanmelas, mid-day meals, and distribution of grains at low prices. This is very unhealthy. Collecting votes by spending public money is very bad.
e) The paradox between votes and seats: In most elections, we see that a party may get more seats but their total votes will be less. In the 1984 election Congress party got only 49.1% of the polled vote and only 30% of the total vote. But in the Lok Sabha, it had % majority. The Assembly elections also give the same picture. This is against the principle of democracy where majority decides things.
f) Defects in the Election Procedure: Lakhs of Indian citizens are denied their voting rights as their names are left out of the voters’ list. Many parties resort to violence and booth capturing.
