Mahesh Chander Sudan
We, the people of India, have started gaining a feeling that the electoral process defined in our constitution has almost been over taken by party politics and as a result we voters are made to elect party for formation of government and not our representatives in real sense. This is not only defeating the very purpose of electoral democracy, but helping these political parties to strengthen themselves to an extent that they could afford to construct monumental offices for their parties at the cost of our hard earned money in hundred and hundred crores. We are left with no option than to vote for a candidate nominated by these political entities. It is in real term an acceptance of the fact that political environment so created leaves voters helpless to elect representative of their choice who can understand their problems, who can be vocal enough to raise their concerns at appropriate level, who has the real touch of the skin to feel the requirement of the last man in the queue – the very spirit of the republican democracy. The recent trend of electoral democracy shows that voters exercise their right to vote out of wave created by the heat of politics which most of the time results in multiparty dispensation to govern the country like UPA AND NDA at the Centre and coalition of few likeminded leaders in the state politics. This again leaves voters insecure about their future as they are not being represented in right frame. The resultant governments are not able to provide citizen friendly governance with assured growth at all levels within the constitutional provisions of equality for all citizens without any consideration of caste, creed and sex. As system does not provide for any performance audit of leaders and political parties, poor voter is left at the mercy of political masters who graduate themselves from leaders to masters of the destiny in due course of time.
At the same time, it is also an accepted fact that Republican democracy is the best form of government, but there is always a room for improvement. In a recent interaction with one of my reader, I was put to a situation to answer as to which party we should vote in 2019, finding no spontaneous answer I dwelt over for some time and thought sharing with you the concept of National/State Government. Are we really required to vote for a party and not a leader of our choice? What has gone wrong over a period of seven decades did the framers of our constitution failed to address such situation where political parties will weaken the constitutional institutes for their vested interest? At this juncture, it is felt that the concept of National/State government should help us to come out of political shackles. It may be the constitutional duty of the President of India/Governor of the state to invite elected representative of various political parties to nominate their members on pro rata basis to form National/State Government composed of Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister of India/Chief Minister so elected by these nominated members of the Parliament. The Government so formed shall be National /State Government and members so nominated are to display common approach leaving behind their political identities in the larger interest of the Nation/State.
Oath administered to these members of Parliament/ Legislature may be suitably reframed to bring in acceptance of common cause of national/state welfare so that these members of Parliament/Legislature leave behind their party interest and work for furtherance of national/state interest at large. All other members of parliament/legislatures will continue to be the members of the concerned house with their original political identity with no change in their ideological outlook. All members have equal right to move any ordinance and at the same time they enjoy the right to support or oppose the ordinance without any political whip or compulsion as it happens in the present circumstances. Nation/AAM ADMI should be the central figure to guide day to day functioning of the Parliament/Legislature.
This would strengthen the hands of our constitution to become an effective tool for furtherance of general welfare of the state/Nation. Besides, this will raise the confidence of the voters who would not hesitate to cross the party line to elect an able leader who understands them, who comes from the same society, who has the feel of their problems and who has not been Heli-dropped by any power full political party unlike present day trends. As regards feasibility of bringing in required changes, the responsibility lies with conscious voters especially young generation who can think out of box and lay healthy and strong foundation of their future. Aam Admi desires to elect members from his own comrades but fails to achieve it due to present day political heat generated by mighty political set-ups. May the Almighty bless wisdom to my fellow citizens to broaden their horizon so that they could free themselves from the mighty clutches of present political classes? Jai Hind.
(The author is Wg Cdr (Rtd)
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