Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 23
As Nagaland went to the polls today in the backdrop of appeals for peaceful, free and fair elections made from various quarters including the Election Commission of India and the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), reports have emerged about a new trend among some enlightened voters exercising their ‘Right to Reject’ the list of candidates before them. “None of the candidates in the fray appealed to me so I decided not to cast my vote for anyone,” said one citizen of Dimapur while speaking to The Morung Express.
Many others have also decided not to cast their ballots expressing disillusionment with the current state of politics—the prevalence of money and muscle power, corruption, erosion of party principles etc. Not surprisingly during the last few Assembly Elections in Nagaland, candidates who have contested as Independents, not aligned to any political parties, have done well, indicating their acceptance as alternatives to mainstream political parties. This time also there are 39 Independent candidates in the fray making them the third largest bloc after the ruling NPF and Opposition Congress with 60 and 57 candidates respectively.
Meanwhile regarding the Right to Reject, it may be mentioned that the Election Commission of India is already looking at proposals it has received from several quarters that there should be a provision enabling a voter to reject all the candidates in the constituency if he or she does not find them suitable.
In fact anti-corruption crusader and Gandhian, Anna Hazare has openly spoken about having the provision of Right to Reject which would ensure the voter has a right to say that he does not like the listed candidates.
Anna Hazare has even approached the Election Commission of India demanding to introduce Right to Reject option in EVM machine so that Indians get chance to reject the candidate while casting their votes. According to media reports, the matter of including the Right to Reject is pending with the Law Ministry since 2001. Legal experts point out that what is needed is a rule amendment and that it just needs a notification.
The other argument is that such a provision will curtail money power during elections. People like Anna Hazare suggests that if majority say they do not like any of the candidates in the fray, the election should be cancelled. “How much money they (candidates) will distribute? Once the candidate spends Rs. 10 crore for one election and if the election is cancelled, then right sense will dawn upon them,” Anna Hazare has said in the past.
Perhaps in a State like Nagaland where politicians spend crores of rupees to win elections, something like the Right to Reject would be a welcome change—to ensure quality of candidates and putting a check on both money and muscle power. As some voters have already done today, the Election Commission of India should take note of such an idea, whose time has come.
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