By Lu Yang Source:Global Times
India’s general election to elect members of the country’s lower house, or Lok Sabha, began on Thursday. The election will take place in seven phases and the results are to be announced on May 23. This is the world’s largest general election, with around 900 million eligible voters. The election will cost around $7 billion, making it the most expensive voting exercise in the world.
India’s democratic system is being questioned as people pay close attention to the upcoming general election. Huge amount of money is being invested in advertisements and publicity for canvassing votes. Bribing voters is a feature of India’s general elections. In the past 30 years, the competition among parties has intensified and political forces have become more diverse. As a result, such bribes have mushroomed.
Candidates do not know whether bribes can buy them votes. They just worry that competitors will give out freebies so they don’t want to risk being left behind in the race to please voters. The gifts include cash, food and daily necessities, and candidates splurge money and compete to outdo one another in luring voters.
Thus, India’s general elections have become a game of the rich. According to the Association for Democratic Reforms, an Ahmedabad-based nongovernmental organization that advocates for electoral and political reforms in India, 443 out of 542 winners in 2014 Lok Sabha elections each had assets of 10 million rupees ($140,000) or more. Although the elections are expensive, success brings payback. According to The Times of India, the average assets of reelected members of the Indian parliament have increased from 53.8 million rupees in 2009 to 127.8 million rupees in 2014.
Generally, political parties and politicians have various sources of income. Compared to major Western countries, India’s political donation rules are loose and lack transparency. In the UK, companies are not allowed to donate money to parties directly. In the US, people can donate to federal elections through Political Action Committees, but requires them to disclose donors’ names. The Indian government has been revising rules governing election expenses and donations, with very little effect.
There is an upper limit for candidates’ election expenses, but none for political parties. The oversight for political donation is also weak. Because general elections involve huge expenses, no political party would block its source of revenue for elections by making related rules after assuming power.
The Election Commission of India, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission lack resources and independence to deal with political donations. As a result, the current laws cannot be implemented and corruption goes unpunished. Elections thus become a kind of investment with the expectation of returns. In other words, candidates do not necessarily represent voters’ needs, but their own interests. Politics has become a way for most Indian politicians to consolidate family power.
With the need for campaign funding paramount, India’s political parties are bound to build close links with large financial groups and companies.
India’s big financial groups and enterprises also seek to develop close relations with political leaders. Company-backed candidates join parliament, seek political proxies, influence the appointment and removal of administrative personnel after elections, join various policy advisory committees, or affect public opinion with the help of media. Since parties accept funds from big companies during elections, they are bound to do favors to their donors by taking decisions which help them make profits and grow their businesses.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned to invest the largest amount of money into the elections. The BJP is also the biggest recipient of political donations. To maintain the party’s competitiveness, the Modi administration has relaxed campaign finance laws. According to Bloomberg, the new rules “let corporations, including those partly owned by foreign entities, fund elections anonymously.” This has attracted criticism because business and even foreigners could influence elections.
Many observers believe that India’s democracy is an exception. The country maintains a steady democratic system regardless of a rapidly growing population, worsening environment, large-scale poverty and communal problems. The principle of democracy should fit in with the Indian society. Tribe, family, caste and religion have penetrated the democratic fabric. The traditional forms of social organization have turned into interest groups or parties, joining in political games.
But India has effective political mobilization, and Indians are enthusiastic about elections. In an ordinary Indian’s eyes, voting brings hope of changing the status quo. Although general elections may not bring expected gains, all they can do is participate in the game.
The author is a research fellow with the One Belt-One Road Strategy Institute, Tsinghua University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
