<p>The present system of electoral funding is lopsided, and the first-past-the-post voting practice has outlived its utility, former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy has said calling for long-pending poll reforms.</p>.<p>He criticised political parties for their lack of interest in taking up electoral reforms, and lamented that in the present system, no poor man can stand for elections with any success.</p>.<p>"No political party has taken any interest in even mentioning electoral reforms in their manifesto", Krishnamurthy told PTI.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/time-to-have-a-rethink-on-multi-phase-polls-says-ex-cec-t-s-krishnamurthy-979457.html" target="_blank">Time to rethink multi-phase polls: Ex-CEC Krishnamurthy</a></strong></p>.<p>"Electoral funding has to change. The present system is lopsided. It's not fully transparent".</p>.<p>He said there must be a national election fund where companies and individuals could make contributions.</p>.<p>This could then be used by the Election Commission based on guidelines drawn by it in consultation with registered and recognised political parties so that even an ordinary poor man can stand for elections.</p>.<p>"At the moment, no poor man can stand for elections with any success. So, this (present system of) electoral funding has to change", Krishnamurthy said.</p>.<p>He also said the first-past-the-post system, where a candidate who receives the most votes wins, has outlived its utility and it must be changed.</p>.<p>"The present system was okay when the country got independence...there was illiteracy...not much awareness of voters. Now that we have had more than 70 years of electoral democracy, I think it's necessary to change the first-past- the-post so that people with (just) 20-25 per cent of votes don't get elected."</p>.<p>He suggested that ideally a candidate has to get 50 per cent plus one vote of the total votes polled to win, adding, only then the candidate can truly represent the majority of the people in the constituency.</p>.<p>"If that's not implementable -- I am sure political parties won't accept (this proposal) immediately, as a first step, it should be 33.33 per cent votes polled to win so that small parties, small lobbies, parties based on religion, caste, language do not thrive in this state of affairs," Krishnamurthy said.</p>.<p>According to him, it's absolutely necessary to have a separate law governing the working of political parties which should include their financial transactions and settlement of disputes, among others.</p>.<p>"This was recommended by the Justice Venkatachaliah Commission long, long ago, as part of review of working of the Constitution. What action has been taken by any political party to implement this?" Krishnamurthy asked3</p>
<p>The present system of electoral funding is lopsided, and the first-past-the-post voting practice has outlived its utility, former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy has said calling for long-pending poll reforms.</p>.<p>He criticised political parties for their lack of interest in taking up electoral reforms, and lamented that in the present system, no poor man can stand for elections with any success.</p>.<p>"No political party has taken any interest in even mentioning electoral reforms in their manifesto", Krishnamurthy told PTI.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/election/time-to-have-a-rethink-on-multi-phase-polls-says-ex-cec-t-s-krishnamurthy-979457.html" target="_blank">Time to rethink multi-phase polls: Ex-CEC Krishnamurthy</a></strong></p>.<p>"Electoral funding has to change. The present system is lopsided. It's not fully transparent".</p>.<p>He said there must be a national election fund where companies and individuals could make contributions.</p>.<p>This could then be used by the Election Commission based on guidelines drawn by it in consultation with registered and recognised political parties so that even an ordinary poor man can stand for elections.</p>.<p>"At the moment, no poor man can stand for elections with any success. So, this (present system of) electoral funding has to change", Krishnamurthy said.</p>.<p>He also said the first-past-the-post system, where a candidate who receives the most votes wins, has outlived its utility and it must be changed.</p>.<p>"The present system was okay when the country got independence...there was illiteracy...not much awareness of voters. Now that we have had more than 70 years of electoral democracy, I think it's necessary to change the first-past- the-post so that people with (just) 20-25 per cent of votes don't get elected."</p>.<p>He suggested that ideally a candidate has to get 50 per cent plus one vote of the total votes polled to win, adding, only then the candidate can truly represent the majority of the people in the constituency.</p>.<p>"If that's not implementable -- I am sure political parties won't accept (this proposal) immediately, as a first step, it should be 33.33 per cent votes polled to win so that small parties, small lobbies, parties based on religion, caste, language do not thrive in this state of affairs," Krishnamurthy said.</p>.<p>According to him, it's absolutely necessary to have a separate law governing the working of political parties which should include their financial transactions and settlement of disputes, among others.</p>.<p>"This was recommended by the Justice Venkatachaliah Commission long, long ago, as part of review of working of the Constitution. What action has been taken by any political party to implement this?" Krishnamurthy asked3</p>