889 Thanks to Deccan Chronicle and its cartoonist Shri Subhani, their idea can lead to a revolution in Election Canvassing and State Funding of Elections

This cartoon in the first page of DeccanChronicle.com, print edition dated 19th Jan. 2017, can go a long way in revolutionizing election canvassing in India. My sincere thanks are to the Deccan Chronicle, and its cartoonist Shri Subhani. The cartoon says: "Not poll alliance. They are campaigning, together to save cost, due to shortage of cash" . My readers will find from the above picture, that the candidates and their supporters are sitting on the top of the bus, with their placards seeking votes. The bus is fitted with a mike. Multiple symbols can be seen. Hence, we can say that it is a mutually co-operative and co-ordinated effort.

Question: How the idea in the cartoon can be used to revolutionize election campaigning, and to facilitate State Funding of Elections?

Ans: We have seen that millions of dollars have been mobilised and squandered by all the three 2016-17 American Presidential Candidates, for their Election canvassing. Finally they ended up with a billionnaire President, who prima facie knows only making billions through the usually unscrupulous business technics of American Corporates, and who does not have any close-up view of how American Public Administration functions. He does not probably know the basic philosophy and values behind the American Democracy, which its pioneers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln cherished, and practised. We cannot then, blame Mr. Donald Trump for the entanglement in which the American Citizens are now holed up, because Capitalist Democracies function by mobilising millions from Corporate donors and business tycoons, in subsequent return for Governmental favors and the SPOLILS (Spoils of Victory System).

Worldwide, State Funding of Elections is used as one viable solution for the problem of mobilsation of funds for Election Canvassing. Countries like Sweden, Italy, and Spain have tried it.

RISKS IN STATE FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES

State Funding of Political Parties, can tighten the grip of parties on candidates, besides leading to misuse of State Largesse, by the Leaders of Parties for their own corrupt ends. In a bourgeoisie system, bourgeoisie parties continue to retain their bourgeoisie characteristics, in spite of State Funding. While excess funding can lead to wastage of scarce resources, scant funding can compel the parties again to go back to their past habits of extortions from the needy Corporates and Contractors. India is a country of scarce resources, which means bourgeoisie parties will not be satisfied with the State Funding, and while wasting the State Funds, they will also continue their nefarious practices.

PLAN FOR PROVIDING FACILITIES instead of FUNDS TO PARTIES

Below, is a plan, which cannot be implemented for the 2017, 5 State Elections. But it can be tried in 2019 General Elections, after pre-informing all the parties, discussing it threadbare, and pre-preparing adequately to take care of contingencies which may arise in implementation stage.

1. Canvassing is done mainly through use of vehicles for visiting villages. Both private and hired vehicles will have to be banned fully. Candidates can be permitted to visit villages through State Run buses, and Railways.

2. State can design and employ Special Buses.

Election Commission can provide, depending on the geographical size, and population size of an Assembly Constituency, one Canvassing Unit for each Assembly Constitutency. Election Commission can provide, for each Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) Constituency, depending on geographical size and population size, 2 or 3 Canvassing Units, free of cost.

DESIGN OF A CANVASSING UNIT

A Canvassing Unit may consist of 5 or more buses.

Bus No. 1 for Candidates: For Transport of candidates to villages. The candidates should include independents also. If the number of candidates is too low, mini-buses can be used. In these buses only the candidates should be allowed to sit.

Bus No. 2 for Candidates' representatives: For transport of representatives of candidates. Every candidate can be permitted to bring with him/her, maximum only 2 agents/representatives. If the number of candidates is too large, probably two buses will have to be used.

Bus No. 3 for Escort: For transport of Escorts, armed gunmen, and also ordinary police. The number can be calculated @ 2 gunmen for each candidate.

Bus No. 4 for Media: For Media- Government media All India Radio, Prasar Bharati, Accredited Print Media Personnel, Accredited TV Cameramen and Reporters.

Bus No. 5, pantry, dining and refreshments: Kitchen and eatery Bus, with tables, chairs. Free or subsidised lunch can be provided to the candidates, his representatives, Media personnel, escort personnel. This bus can, on its top, carry some tents.

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT FROM THE ABOVE LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS

Today, election parties depend for their food, on village caste heads. If candidates visit villages with State-provided arrangements, candidates will be freed from a need to satisfy the caste heads, land-lords, and traders, who normally provide hospitality to election canvassers.

SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR MAINTAINING THESE BUSES

1. Bus No. 1 will display on their side and back panels, the biodata of the candidates. Election Deposits collected from the candidates at the time of Nomination can be made non-refundable, and used for maintaining the Bus No. 1.

2. Bus Nos. 2 to 5 can display on their side and back panels, on their top carriers, business advertisements. This will be a good source of revenue, if properly auctioned.

3. Depending on the size of villages, public places can be identified for additional canvassing, such as Panchayat Office, Revenue Office, Police Station, Markets, Sports grounds etc. where Govt. can display advertisement banners surrounding the public place.

4. Govt. can print and sell at subsidised rates, small booklets containing the biodata of candidates, their promises etc. These booklets can also contain business advertisements.

5. If the Govt. provides some Loud Speakers, and Public Address System, they can also be used for broadcasting business advertisements.

These are only some ideas. Where there is a will, there will be a way. By 2019, if the Government, all the political parties, Media, and Public Persons can sit together and work out a viable arrangement, at least on an experimnental basis in some constituencies, we can banish the ghost of MONEY in election canvassing.

TIME TABLES

Schedules can be drawn, similar to the Local Site Seeing Tours of Tourist Operators. The Buses will drop the candidates at a particular place for campaigning. The Organiser will announce in Bus No. 1, to the candidates, the time given to them for canvassing at that particular place. After the expiry of the given time, the candidates will have to board the buses, exactly at the appointed time. The Chief Organiser who sits in Bus No. 1 will have control over the P.A.S. of all the other four buses, in the Canvassing Unit, and the Organisers in the remaining buses will have to follow the guidance of the Chief Organiser in Bus No. 1.

In view of the geographical spread of Constituencies in India, and the number of households to cover, between the Nomination Finalisation last date, and the canvassing closure date, Election Commission will have to give more time for the buses to complete their schedules, say 45 days.

Tail piece धूमकेतु తోకచుక్క

The focus should be on the candidates, with no importance to their parties, though the candidates can go canvassing door to door, explaining the policies of their parties.

To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.