Mandatory voting in local polls likely

Sources said Gujarat will be the first state in the country to come up with such a legislation. To make voting compulsory,the government proposes to amend relevant sections of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act,1949,the Gujarat Municipalities Act,1963 and the Gujarat Panchayats Act,1993.

The Bill is to be moved in the House by state Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel. It seeks to empower an election officer — to be designated by the State Election Commission — to declare the voter,who fails to vote in the elections,as “defaulter voter”. The government will prescribe by rules the disadvantages or consequences to be suffered by the “defaulter voter”.

The Bill,however,seeks to exempt a qualified voter from voting in the local body elections,if he is physically incapable of voting,or if he is absent on the election date from the country or the state.

If the voter fails to exercise his right to vote,an election officer will issue a notice to him,seeking reasons for the same. If the voter fails to reply to the notice within a month,and if the election officer is not satisfied with the reply,the voter will be declared as a “defaulter voter”. If aggrieved by the election officer’s order,the defaulter voter will be allowed to appeal to the appellate officer to be designated by the State Election Commission.

Patel said: “It has been observed that due to the low turnout of voters (in local body polls),the true spirit of the will of the people is not reflected in the electoral mandate. This scenario has a very serious potential to weaken the fabric of democratic governance,which the people of this country have given to themselves under the Constitution…Hence,this Bill seeks to make their right to vote a statutory obligation…”

A total of 3.60 crore voters who exercise their franchise for elections in the 26 district panchayats,225 taluka panchayats,169 municipalities,seven municipal corporations and 13,500 village panchayats in Gujarat,.