The document proposes several electoral reforms to reduce the influence of money and muscle power in Indian politics, including establishing central and state-level monitoring committees to oversee elections, increasing security for candidates, restricting campaign spending, banning opinion polls before elections, and disqualifying convicted criminals from running for office. It also discusses how money currently influences various aspects of the electoral process, from getting party nominations to influencing voters, and proposes measures like bringing political parties under RTI and having local leaders report any election malpractices.

1. Manthan Topic: Introducing electoral reforms to reduce the
influence of money and muscle power in politics
Team Details
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, India
Tamojit Ghosh
Alinda Dey
Vikas Kumar Jha
Shashank Srivastava
Debanjan Majhi
“There is enough in the world to meet everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed”
Father of the Nation - Mahatma Gandhi

2. Basic Problems of Using Muscle Power
The biggest effect that muscle
power has, is by creating an
environment of fear and threat
among the voters which
indirectly hinders the fare
process of election and hampers
the democratic process of India.
Also it has been seen that many
of the able candidates either
withdraw or do not contest in
the elections because of the
threat caused by the muscle
power.
www.idea.int

3. Let’s find out the solutions
Strengthening
Democracy from
grass root level
• A collegium should be formed Consisting Supreme Court Judge, Eminent Jurist,
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, union law minister, any prominent social worker
working for electoral betterment for 2-3 years.
• This collegium will make a committee of members at union level that should be
approved by the president.
Central
Monitoring
Committee
• Central Monitoring Committee will make state level monitoring
committees in each states and the members name should be prior
approved by the governor of the respective state.
• The governor should have power to ask for amendment to the
members list.
Function of the
Monitoring
Committee
• In many ways it will act as an enquiry wing of Election Commission.
• The State Monitoring Committees will monitor each and every
Gram Panchayat election and will have to submit the report on the
conduct of election in the state concerned to the State Election
Commission.

4. Some Mandatory Steps Should Be Taken
Transparency- Each and every elected candidate of a State should come within the ambit
of State Monitoring Committee and should be liable to explain their
concerns, if any.
No Opinion
Poll-
Majority of people are influenced by the opinion polls, which happens
before elections. So this type of polls should not be allowed before
elections like in western countries because powerful sections of society
always maintain a hold over the media and can make use of it.
No convicted
Candidates-
A group of heinous offences should be listed by the Supreme Court panel,
which are not accepted in the society and any candidate facing Trials on
these offences should be required to withdraw their nominations.
Safeguard-Accusations should not be politically motivated and should be
lodged before 6 months

5. Rest of the Mandatory Steps
Security of
Candidates
According to ECI the section 34 of RPA should be amended so that Election Commission
has a say in security fees of the candidate.
As of now the fees for LS election is Rs. 10000 and Rs. 5000 for Assembly Election. The
recommendation of ECI should be implemented so that EC can provide security to all
candidates and minimize the evil of muscle power.
Election
Procedure
Election should be held in different zones at different time so that we can face the dearth
of security forces and provide sufficient forces to each and every poll booth and remotest
corner.
Co-operations between ECI and Central Monitoring Committee
If any voter has any complaint against any candidate then they can directly lodge their complaints to the
monitoring committee of their respective states through mail, telephones or by letters. The name of the compliant
will not be disclosed.
Now if there is any prima facia evidence against the candidate, he/she will be required to show cause to the
committee.
and if required ,he/she will be tried in a Fast Track Court meant to dispose election related disputes.
Each State Monitoring Committee will submit the annual reports on development in electoral environment to the
Central Monitoring Committee on Yearly Basis.
And The ECI will take actions according to its discretion.

6. Influence of Money
•As per the rules a candidate can use 25 lac for Lok Sabha
election campaign and for Assembly election campaign 16 lac
can be used by a candidate.
•But in reality candidates are using money beyond the
limitations.
Election Campaigns
•Most eligible candidate should be given the party ticket to be
elected from any place.
•In reality candidates are spending lots of money to get the
tickets and they expect to get back much more after they have
won. This results in them being corrupt.
To buy tickets from
the party
•Before the election a huge amount of money is being used to
win the mind of voters by presenting them with benefits.
•Cycles, motorcycles, laptops, televisions and in some cases
even cash are being distributed among the voters to maintain
their vote-bank.
Influencing voters by
money power

7. To keep the party
workers mentally
boosted
•To fulfil unauthorised works like election booth capturing,
ballot box absconding etc. Govt. authorities are being sold
with large amount of bribe.
•As a result they do not look after for the forceful works.
To breach
Government
authority
•Not only top leaders but workers also stay with public
throughout the year.
•It’s very important to use their enthusiasm and dedication
to work by co-ordinating with top leaders which costs a lot
for the party.
www.capitalmind.in

8. • Parties should stop
their advertisement
before 6 months of the
election.
• But they can campaign
about any scheme
covered in the
stipulated time period.
• Alternative method of
campaign is internet/
social networking sites.
• Election commission
should monitor
whether the party is
campaigning against
any other party.
• To make the co-
ordination fruitful
between higher and
grass root level
workers, the best and
cheapest way is
telecommunication.

9. •All party should come under RTI
act, as advised by Chief
Information Commissioner.
Common people should have the
right to get information about
the validity of candidature.
•No one can ask about the
candidate who has won last 2
elections and has a criminal
background which is under any
court.
•Chairman of each small areas
like Gram Panchayat, Wards
should submit a report to
monitoring committee so that
no such activity has taken
place by the parties to
influence voters with money
power.
•These members will have the
liberty to submit the report in
their regional language.
•If any evidence found against
them , producing wrong report
then action will be taken
against them.

10. References:
 Election Commission of India
 Indian Polity by Laxmikanth
 www.capitalmind.in
 www.thehindubusinessline.com