Day 338

    The Supreme Court has given the right verdict before the general elections in 2014. The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to include a button in all the electronic voting machines by whose side ‘Reject all candidates’ will be mentioned. I welcome this decision. This verdict is very much appropriate to the current situation. Although few political leaders and parties are saying that the Supreme Court doesn’t have the authority to make any constitution. It’s the work of the Parliament. But those leaders are forgetting that the Supreme Court is doing its job. In the constitution it’s already written that if the voter isn’t satisfied with any of the candidates then the voter can disqualify all the candidates. Those leaders are saying that people don't go to the polling booths to caste their vote is equivalent to their right of rejection. I strongly disagree with those leaders.

    Although, the voters, who aren’t interested in the polling system, are staying at home. They are giving the logic that they don't like any of the candidates. But this is not the reality. They aren’t going to the polling booths because they would be in compulsion to select one of the candidates. But if the option of rejection is there then the public will obviously go to the polling booth. Previously, this right wasn’t there that’s why the turnout at the polling booths was very low. Now this verdict will encourage the voters to go and to caste their vote. I would like to say to those leaders that instead of telling Supreme Court that what it can do and what it can’t, it will be much better to improve their images. Those leaders should do their duties rightfully and should clean their images in public’s opinion so that people should vote them instead of rejecting them.

    Actually, the UPA government has passed an ordinance where it’s allowing tainted and convicted leaders to contest in the elections from the jail. I think this should be eliminated first. None of the political parties are coming forward in favour of eliminating criminals to become MPs and MLAs. A lawbreaker can’t become a lawmaker. The political parties and the UPA government should think over this before challenging or commenting over the Right of Rejection verdict of the Supreme Court. I don't know what the real intention of Rahul Gandhi is. I don't know what he is trying to show to public when he said that these types of ordinances should be torn and thrown. I would like to ask him that where was he when his party was framing this particular ordinance? Why didn’t he raise his voice against his mother on this issue? It’s openly known that the Congress party has drafted this ordinance after getting the approval from Rahul Gandhi’s mother. Sonia Gandhi gave her consent over this ordinance. So, why didn’t Rahul Gandhi said anything at that time? Is he trying to show that he has become a real well wisher of the mass? I think it’s just the political drama to confuse the general mass. Nothing more than that.

    As far as the verdict of the Supreme Court is concerned then I would like to say that this verdict has given the authority to the voter to come to the polling booth and to show their real intention. This will make the political parties feel that they just can’t put any candidate in the election from the particular area. Not only this verdict will make the voter more powerful but it will increase the turnout percentage at the polling booth. In the coming assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Election Commission of India has declared that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), the button for reject all will be there.

    Now this is the thing, according to me, which was most awaited thing for the Indian voters. As a voter, couple of times, even I wasn’t satisfied with the candidates or the parties on the list on EVM. That time, I have wished that I could have got a button for rejecting all of them at a time. Now it’s possible. If I won’t be satisfied with the person or the party, I’ll simply press the rejection button. With this addition, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission has empowered a voter to express his or her views clearly. Now the politicians won’t take it for granted that they have to choose any one from the list. The political parties will be now careful in selecting the suitable candidate for any constituency. This decision is indeed going to change the system a lot.