Speaker sees desperate need for electoral reforms

Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said on Monday that elections in the state in recent years were ridden with corruption and there is a desperate need for electoral reforms.

He was making introductory remarks in the Assembly for a debate on electoral reforms, scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Of late, elections have become all about money, caste and muscle power. People are not even following the election code of conduct seriously. This is creating discord in society,” Kageri pointed out.

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Election irregularities have increased, those with a criminal record are taking part in polls and crores of rupees are being spent on elections without accountability, he
added. “Those with criminal records are taking part in elections. This indicates the health of the political system in the country. There is a need for reforming this system,” Kageri said.

Not just the Assembly elections, even the Legislative Council elections were filled with irregularities, he said citing the instance of the recent MLC elections in the state.

Further, he also observed the excessive influence of religious institutions in elections. That, coupled with communal politics, youth being disinterested in the electoral process are among the several reasons why the quality of the process has come down, he said.

He urged different organisations, working social sector, to take part in creating awareness about elections, apart from encouraging active participation from youth. “If we don’t act now, our democracy will be in peril in the future,” he said.

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