Candid candidates

Five Indian states with a population of over 140 million, larger than that of most of Western Europe combined, would elect 630 new MLAs as t...

Five Indian states with a population of over 140 million, larger than that of most of Western Europe combined, would elect 630 new MLAs as their representatives in another seven weeks or so. The exercise, as we know, is monumental and mind-boggling, although India has been conducting it for decades. What makes the coming elections special is the fact that they will also see some of the Supreme Court8217;s efforts to make the system more accountable to voters translated into action. For the first time, candidates will have to file affidavits providing information on their properties and that of their spouses and dependents, their liabilities and educational qualifications.

These steps, if carried out smoothly and effectively, should go some way in enhancing transparency and helping voters make more informed choices. We may be far short of the type of scrutiny of personal conduct that the American electoral process generates, but every move that informs the public about the person they choose to represent them is a step in the right direction. The challenge, of course, lies in making the new regime work. Politicians, across party lines, had earlier expressed their resentment over such a move which they perceived as an attempt to undermine their democratic rights and democracy in general. Some of the concerns they raised as, for instance, the possibility of prospective candidates being intimidated by the filing of false FIRs against them, are genuine. There is also the prospect of candidates being less than honest with their personal data. As cynics have pointed out, most of the ill-gotten fruits of graft and corruption are in any case in 8220;benami8221; holdings, or even locked up in steel trunks. Questions have also been raised about whether the premium on educational qualifications would queer the pitch for many grassroots politicians, who may not have formal educational qualifications but are nevertheless effective leaders.

Yet, despite these shortcomings, the very fact that such information would now be made public is a step forward. In any case, as Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh clarified on Monday, returning officers will have no powers to take action against any candidate. Only the courts are empowered to punish candidates who, say, deliberately filed wrong information in their affidavits. In other words, this reform now is strictly in the domain of enhancing the voters8217; right to know. It is this process of increasing general awareness that needs to be shored up if Indian democracy is to benefit from these new moves. This would involve not just an active opposition 8212; which is usually guaranteed in an election scenario 8212; and a vigilant media, but an aware and participative electorate.