CPI calls for reforms in electoral system

Making a strong pitch for electoral reforms, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy today said existing system enabled parties to form governments without securing even 50 per cent of votes as had been shown by the current round of assembly polls.
Launching the fifth edition of his party's Malayalam daily Janayugom here, Reddy said the parties which formed governments in the states which went to polls recently did not secure over 30 per cent of the votes.
"Under the present system, what counts is seats and not votes. Under such a system, governments are formed by parties which could not secure even 50 per cent of votes," Reddy said.

Accusing the media of serving the interests of big business corporates, the CPI leader said they failed to carry out the responsibilities and duties expected of them as the "fourth estate" in a democracy.
"Most of the Indian media is controlled by corporate interests. What is going to happen next is invasion of foreign interests in the Indian media," he said.
Stating that the media had shifted their support from the Congress to the BJP, Reddy said they were now boosting the image of the saffron party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi turning a blind eye to the fact that he was a leader ignorant of the nation's history and cultural traditions.

Presiding over the function, CPI Kerala state secretary Panniyan Raveendran announced that the party had plans to launch a television channel in 2015. Before that, Janayugom's editions would be set up in Thrissur and Alappuzha.