Now voting compulsary, negative votes in Gujarat polls

By: Sikander Kushwaha

VOTING IS now compulsory in Gujaratafter the state assembly on Saturday passed the landmark bill that also allows a negative vote.

 

The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009 seeking to amend the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corp Act 1949, the GujaratMunicipalities Act, 1963 and the GujaratPanchayats Act 1993 was passed by the Assembly on Saturday, December 19, making Gujarat the first state in India that has made voting compulsory in elections to local bodies.

 

The new law has made voting compulsory in all seven municipal corporations, 159 municipalities, 26 district panchayats, 223 taluka panchayats and in 13,713 village panchayats of the state. There are many pros and cons of this act like what will be the consequences, if eligible voters do not cast their votes and the like.

 

Still, I strongly feel that citizen of Gujarat first time will get the chance to use the provision of which gives right to say ‘No Vote or Zero Vote’ and marginalized people will be maximum benefiter of this act. 

 

In the present scenario, candidates win the election with the support of only 10-20 per cent of the total population of concerned constituencies because a large majority of the people do not visit the polling booth. This act will empower the citizens of Gujarat to use their voting right as their duty. They can even reject the worst candidate.

 

The government of Gujarat also has to keep some fundamental point while framing the rules of this act to get the anticipated fruit like: how to monitor the voter list, how to deal with the migrants and feasibility of punishment.

Source:http://www.merinews.com/article/now-voting-compulsary-negative-votes-in-gujarat-polls/15791773.shtml