Letters: Making voting compulsory

Gujarat Bill is not practical

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to make voting compulsory in the state for elections to local bodies has hit a roadblock with Governor Kamla Beniwal's refusal to sign it. The State Assembly had passed the Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill last December. Though the Governor's reasons for returning the Bill to the government will be announced in the next Assembly session, she has reportedly said that the Bill violates the Constitution which does not provide for mandatory voting and that no one can be punished for not voting. In India, voting is a civil right and not a civic duty.

Mr Modi’s enthusiasm to increase the voters’ participation in the democratic process may be praiseworthy. But his prescription for mandatory voting to ensure political stability and cut costs due to frequent elections is conceptually flawed. Does the State Election Commission have the necessary staff and resources to enforce the proposal? Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla has expressed his inability to implement mandatory voting at the national level. More important, in April 2009, the Supreme Court has rejected a PIL in this regard, ruling that how seriously a voter takes his statutory right to exercise his franchise is best left to him.

The Tribune, April 22