CPI favours proportional representation election system to curb practices of purchase of votes

The Communist Party of India has favoured state-funding of polls and a proportional representation election system to curb campaign expenditure.

“We are for it,” CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said about his party’s stand on state-funding of elections.

He said that the move might curb expenses to only some extent as candidates and parties would “find their own method” of spending to lure voters.

“A better alternative would be proportional representation election system, whereby political parties can nominate the number of candidates depending on the vote share they get,” Reddy told PTI on Sunday.

“Names of candidates can be announced in advance. That (proportional representation system) will naturally stop individual candidates from spending money,” he said, adding that such an initiative would curb practices of “purchase” of votes.

“(With this system) ... even smallest parties will get their representation ... marginalised sections will also get representation proportionately,” Reddy said.

He also called for “proper implementation” of a general instruction from Income Tax department that donations above Rs 20,000 to political parties should be in cheque or through electronic transfer, and not in cash.

On simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, he said it’s neither possible nor feasible in India.

“We are not for it. That will cut the life of several Legislative Assemblies, and this has been now propagated suddenly because they (BJP) think that Narendra Modi’s popularity as PM will bring them to power from panchayat, to state and national levels,” Reddy said.

Terming the proposal a “mistaken concept”, he asked as to what happens when a government falls at state-level.

“It cannot wait till the next parliamentary elections. This will be curtailing the democratic right of state assemblies,” he opined.