Have elections in India become plutocratic?, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Indian elections are becoming increasingly expensive, with candidates allegedly spending far more than the official Lok Sabha limit of ₹95 lakh.
• Nearly 93% of Indian Members of Parliament are crorepatis, raising concerns about unequal access to political power.
• While money is not a guarantee for winning, it has become a necessary condition, disadvantaging smaller parties and independent candidates.
• The Election Commission's monitoring is limited to the period between nomination and election day, making it difficult to track unaccounted cash spending.
• The Supreme Court scrapped electoral bonds due to opacity, revealing donor details.

Detailed Insights:

• The actual expenditure in some constituencies ranges from ₹50 crore to ₹100 crore per candidate, far exceeding the official limit.
• Smaller parties and independent candidates struggle to compete with the financial power of larger parties, often becoming also-rans in elections.
• Increasing the spending limit may allow candidates to use more white money, but it could also benefit bigger parties with resourceful candidates.
• Removing spending limits and focusing on transparency, allowing candidates to spend and report accurately, is suggested as an alternative approach.
• Banning government-funded advertisements six months before elections and proportional representation are suggested reforms to level the playing field.
• The nexus between big corporate interests and politicians in democracies requires political will to change the law, which is currently lacking.
• Civil society, pressure groups, and media play a crucial role in spreading awareness about the issues and promoting transparency.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Electoral Bonds: Financial instruments used to donate money to political parties, now scrapped by the Supreme Court due to lack of transparency.
• First-Past-the-Post System: An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, often leading to consolidation of parties.
• Proportional Representation: An electoral system where the number of seats won by a party is proportional to the number of votes received.