Moa Jamir
Election in Nagaland is fought and won with money. In such a state of affairs, ideologies and manifestos are insignificant. Along with monetary factor, personal configuration, tribal, clan and village dynamics among others play equally influential role.
For instance, the Youthnet comparative analysis of the last two Assembly elections in Nagaland (2008 and 2013) revealed that the total estimated expenditure of 216 candidates in 2008 was a cool Rs 569.96 crores, while 184 candidates spent a whopping Rs. 937.82 crores in 2013 - a cool Rs 2.63 and Rs.5.09 respectively for each candidate . One might argue with the methodology used by the Youhtnet to arrive at its figure, but it does not take a genius to come to conclude that monetary factor indeed plays a huge role in elections in Nagaland.
However, the bigger revelation was that – the success rate of each candidate is directly proportional to the campaign expenditure. From all 60 constituencies, candidates with very high expenditure won, the study highlighted. Consequently, out of 33 candidates who spent less than Rs. 1 crore only 1 won, but out of 11 candidates who spent more than Rs 20 crore, 8 won.
This lead to a “vicious cycle” in which – the wealth drainage during election led to rampant diversion of funds meant for development resulting in no development thereby unemployment, poverty and frustration. Consequently, this leads to money mongering during elections and starting the cycle again. This vicious circle needs to be broken, Hekani Jakhalu of Youthnet opined. Incidentally, the Election Commission of India had set the maximum limit for poll expenses for 2013 at Rs 8 lakhs, and each candidate disclosure showed a minuscule average expenditure of Rs 4.62 Lakhs to the ECI - with 16 candidates showing ‘Zero Sum’ on public meetings, processions etc and 24 candidates disclosing nil expenses ‘on campaign workers.’
However, such huge expenditure throws up a curious conundrum - people take money from politicians on the understanding that politicians “have eaten up their money” while politicians spend their term in office “making up for the monetary loss” and “saving for the next one.” It is a ‘favour in exchange for a vote cast’ a Minister stated as a matter of fact during the lecture. Blaming each other for any omission or commission, it becomes temporary “win-win” situation for them but they become stuck in a ‘vicious circle’ with no redemption in sight - each feeding upon the other.
In such a state of affairs, while the Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s Clean Election Campaign started with an intention to prick the “conscience” of the electors as well as the electees, has not elicited any desired outcome so far. The council has reignited the mission again keeping in mind the upcoming 2018 election and a sustained campaign is a way forward. But unless the mindsets are altered it would not engender any change. The poll bugle has already been sounded in Nagaland and we are already coming across reports of ‘unanimous’ declaration by village councils for particular candidates. Others may follow suit. The ‘signing of pledges’ or for that matter, its misuse and manipulation along with such arbitrary declaration has become the biggest stumbling blocks and litmus test for any clean election campaign yet. As other organisations joins the Clean Election Campaign – independently or concurrently, all stakeholders must be synchronize under one banner to implement it more effectively.
The first reform, however, must be political - the political parties as well as the candidates must be brought under the banner of the campaign while incorporating the same in the respective party’s manifesto. The public must also be made aware of the process though which a politician gets its money.
Democracy and the principle of ‘one person, one vote’ is the best defence against any form of electoral mal-practice. The public should not take it for granted and undermine the same by ‘exchanging favour’ in place of vote.
Time is ripe to discard the money mongering exercise, and bring back ideology and manifesto into the electoral process in Nagaland.
