CEC against rushing through poll reforms

Speaking to The Indian Express, the CEC said the reduction of age for candidates to 21 years in the case of the Lok Sabha and 25 in the case of Rajya Sabha would need an amendment in the Constitution. quot;There are so many points on electoral reforms which have been debated for years. I wonder how this recommendation has been introduced in such a hurry?quot; he asked.

Similarly, he said, the question of State funding of elections needed more debate. quot;The Government should carefully think over theissue of State funding since even funds allotted for developmental purposes are being misused,quot; he commented. quot;Handing over of cash directly to political parties may lead to problems.quot; The draft proposals on electoral reforms state that the Government could directly finance political parties for expenses incurred for printing of electoral rolls, hiring of microphones and other paraphernalia for holding election meetings. Gill said that instead of such quot;directquot; State funding, the Government should devise ways of indirectly assisting political parties as the EC had done during the 1997 Lok Sabha polls. For instance, they had given political parties free time on the State-owned TV network and were now going to expand such indirect funding.

quot;Such funding cannot be misused. There is a risk of cash allocations being misused by parties,quot; he reiterated.