Letter written to the Municipal Commissioner to control spending during elections...
DAYANAND JAYANT NENE
A7/303, SAKET CHSL, SAKET MARG, THANE (W) 400601. TEL: 9004028575
January 24, 2012
The Hon. Municipal Commissioner,
Thane Municipal Corporation,
Thane.
Dear Sir,
Sub : Need to Control spending to ensure fair elections
The decision taken by you to appoint expenditure monitoring
observers, along with the usual observers, for the ensuing state legislature
elections is most welcome and proves your conviction to fight the malaise of black money role in
the elections.
Despite legal limits on such spending and heavy penalties if caught cheating, it has not been possible to eradicate the malaise that afflicts our electoral system which often gets distorted under the influence of extravagant spending.
The call for electoral reform given from time to time to impart transparency to the process and to ensure that deserving candidates do not get edged out by criminal elements and wily politicians who have mastered the technique of concealment, has fallen mostly on deaf
ears.
Suggestions to control extravagant spending have not received serious consideration by political parties, all of whom are equally guilty of breaching campaign funding ceilings. All of them agree in principle, but when it comes to implementation, they betray nervousness.
One is not sure whether your move is going to succeed in curbing the menace, but atleast you have shown seriousness in tackling the situation.
I have a few suggestions for your observers who are going to monitor campaign expenditure and take sue moto notice of violations, if brought to their notice, through spot verification. I I hope that they will even take notice of media complaints or exposures of lavish spending,
instead of waiting for rival candidates to file complaints after the
elections to get the rivals disqualified.
Please ensure that the observers are armed with powers to take immediate action, to even disqualify a candidate from contesting. The outcome of the new initiative will be known only after the TMC elections in February are over, but it is worth giving a try.
Any new measure to tackle the menace of huge campaign expenditure, in which
black money plays a part, is indeed welcome, but one must keep one’s fingers
crossed whether parties will cooperate in the matter.
The role of black money or even white in the case of rich tax-paying candidates is an accepted fact and those spending it have devised ingenious ways of concealing it in order to avoid detection and evade punishment.
It is also a fact that muscle and money-power have helped fill our legislatures, including the Lok Sabha, with candidates with criminal histories and those against whom cases are still pending in courts.
Many deserving candidates, who cannot match their rivals spending get edged out. Yet, it is an accepted fact that it is not possible for an honest candidate to do justice to campaigning within the ceiling imposed by the Election Commission because competition has become intense as almost all contests are multi-cornered.
Black money circulates in devious ways and goes largely undetected, with candidates taking the plea that those campaigning for him are volunteers and are not to be paid.
Heavy spending thus gives some candidates an edge, aside from vote-bank mobilization on caste or creed basis. The truth is that the really poor find it difficult to contest unless he is popular enough and can mobilize the services of genuine volunteers to see him through. By and large money power plays a great role in elections, however freely and fairly conducted.
It has been estimated that hundreds of crores of rupees in “black” money get circulated in the economy during elections.
Your initiative is therefore most welcome. A request is that please ask your officers to keep the identity of the persons secret to safeguard them.
I believe that all parties owe it to the electorate to join hands with you in increasing the
transparency, fairness and quality of our democracy and prevent further deterioration.
Best Regards,
Dayanand Nene
A7/303, SAKET CHSL, SAKET MARG, THANE (W) 400601. TEL: 9004028575
January 24, 2012
The Hon. Municipal Commissioner,
Thane Municipal Corporation,
Thane.
Dear Sir,
Sub : Need to Control spending to ensure fair elections
The decision taken by you to appoint expenditure monitoring
observers, along with the usual observers, for the ensuing state legislature
elections is most welcome and proves your conviction to fight the malaise of black money role in
the elections.
Despite legal limits on such spending and heavy penalties if caught cheating, it has not been possible to eradicate the malaise that afflicts our electoral system which often gets distorted under the influence of extravagant spending.
The call for electoral reform given from time to time to impart transparency to the process and to ensure that deserving candidates do not get edged out by criminal elements and wily politicians who have mastered the technique of concealment, has fallen mostly on deaf
ears.
Suggestions to control extravagant spending have not received serious consideration by political parties, all of whom are equally guilty of breaching campaign funding ceilings. All of them agree in principle, but when it comes to implementation, they betray nervousness.
One is not sure whether your move is going to succeed in curbing the menace, but atleast you have shown seriousness in tackling the situation.
I have a few suggestions for your observers who are going to monitor campaign expenditure and take sue moto notice of violations, if brought to their notice, through spot verification. I I hope that they will even take notice of media complaints or exposures of lavish spending,
instead of waiting for rival candidates to file complaints after the
elections to get the rivals disqualified.
Please ensure that the observers are armed with powers to take immediate action, to even disqualify a candidate from contesting. The outcome of the new initiative will be known only after the TMC elections in February are over, but it is worth giving a try.
Any new measure to tackle the menace of huge campaign expenditure, in which
black money plays a part, is indeed welcome, but one must keep one’s fingers
crossed whether parties will cooperate in the matter.
The role of black money or even white in the case of rich tax-paying candidates is an accepted fact and those spending it have devised ingenious ways of concealing it in order to avoid detection and evade punishment.
It is also a fact that muscle and money-power have helped fill our legislatures, including the Lok Sabha, with candidates with criminal histories and those against whom cases are still pending in courts.
Many deserving candidates, who cannot match their rivals spending get edged out. Yet, it is an accepted fact that it is not possible for an honest candidate to do justice to campaigning within the ceiling imposed by the Election Commission because competition has become intense as almost all contests are multi-cornered.
Black money circulates in devious ways and goes largely undetected, with candidates taking the plea that those campaigning for him are volunteers and are not to be paid.
Heavy spending thus gives some candidates an edge, aside from vote-bank mobilization on caste or creed basis. The truth is that the really poor find it difficult to contest unless he is popular enough and can mobilize the services of genuine volunteers to see him through. By and large money power plays a great role in elections, however freely and fairly conducted.
It has been estimated that hundreds of crores of rupees in “black” money get circulated in the economy during elections.
Your initiative is therefore most welcome. A request is that please ask your officers to keep the identity of the persons secret to safeguard them.
I believe that all parties owe it to the electorate to join hands with you in increasing the
transparency, fairness and quality of our democracy and prevent further deterioration.
Best Regards,
Dayanand Nene
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