By IRNA,
New Delhi : India’s top leaders Monday expressed serious concern over malpractices ranging from money and muscle power to paid news syndrome vitiating the electoral process.
The President, Vice President and the Prime minister at the Election Commission’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in New Delhi called for corrective action by the Election Commission and the political parties to cleanse the electoral system of the evils.
The President Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who inaugurated the celebrations, said the impediments, lacunae and malpractices in the electoral process would have to be removed with determination to make Indian democracy cleaner, healthier and stronger. She later released a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.
The Vice President Hamid Ansari dubbed as a blot the extensive media-related malpractice of paid news and coverage packages. He later released a Book titled “Reinforcing Indian Democracy in Lok Sabha Elections-2009”.
The Prime Minister voiced concern that the best and the brightest are not attracted to politics and the educated professionals and the growing middle-class often shy away from the electoral process. Dr. Manmohan Singh regretted that many of the educated professionals and those from the growing middle-class were not even willing to take the trouble to cast their vote.
The Speaker Mrs. Meira Kumar, UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mrs. Sushma Swaraj were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, the Chief Election Commissioner Mr. Navin Chawla identified the challenges of the Commission and the objectives of organising the year-long Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Several envoys of foreign countries, representatives of different countries and Electoral Bodies were present at the inaugural function.
They however hailed the contribution in the last 60 years of the Commission which came into existence on this day on the eve of India becoming a republic in 1950.
The size of India’s electorate increasing from 176 million in the first General Elections in the country in 1951-52, to 716 million in the 15th General Elections held last year, the task of the Election Commission has increased manifold.