05-11-2007, 01:46 AM
<!--emo&:argue--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/argue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='argue.gif' /><!--endemo--> and the CEC wants winner to get â50% plus oneâ vote
Posted online: Friday, May 11, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print Email
NEW DELHI, MAY 10: In what could spark off a heated political debate, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said today that in the current first-past-the-post system, candidates are winning elections with marginal, not majority votes, âfragmentingâ the polity and undermining the very principle of representation.
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Making it clear that this was his âpersonal opinion,â not that of the EC, he said that a way out was a radical revamp where candidates should have to poll a minimum of â50% plus oneâ votes. If that doesnât happen, a second-round run-off between the first two candidates should be held.
Speaking to Shekhar Gupta, The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief, on NDTVâs Walk The Talk show, Gopalaswami said: âMore than 30% of the persons (members) elected to Lok Sabha polled less than 40% of the votes which in any case is 50% of the (voting) population. It does not reflect the majority view of the electorate.â
Drawing attention to the divide-and-poll syndrome that runs caste-based politics in the Hindi heartland, he said there is usually a three-way split of the voters in which âeach person (candidate) addresses a certain caste... Candidates more and more win appealing to a certain community or caste...We cannot (continue have political parties) calculating caste composition (of constituencies) and selecting candidates.â
He said it was time there was a debate on having a different model of elections where the winner needs to get a minimum of â50 per cent vote plus one vote in two-way contest in a second round of polling, held within a gap of one-and-a-half months.â
editor@expressindia.com
Posted online: Friday, May 11, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print Email
NEW DELHI, MAY 10: In what could spark off a heated political debate, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said today that in the current first-past-the-post system, candidates are winning elections with marginal, not majority votes, âfragmentingâ the polity and undermining the very principle of representation.
Related Stories Chawla case: Centre will submit views in writing
Cabinet key in EC removal: Govt
Making it clear that this was his âpersonal opinion,â not that of the EC, he said that a way out was a radical revamp where candidates should have to poll a minimum of â50% plus oneâ votes. If that doesnât happen, a second-round run-off between the first two candidates should be held.
Speaking to Shekhar Gupta, The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief, on NDTVâs Walk The Talk show, Gopalaswami said: âMore than 30% of the persons (members) elected to Lok Sabha polled less than 40% of the votes which in any case is 50% of the (voting) population. It does not reflect the majority view of the electorate.â
Drawing attention to the divide-and-poll syndrome that runs caste-based politics in the Hindi heartland, he said there is usually a three-way split of the voters in which âeach person (candidate) addresses a certain caste... Candidates more and more win appealing to a certain community or caste...We cannot (continue have political parties) calculating caste composition (of constituencies) and selecting candidates.â
He said it was time there was a debate on having a different model of elections where the winner needs to get a minimum of â50 per cent vote plus one vote in two-way contest in a second round of polling, held within a gap of one-and-a-half months.â
editor@expressindia.com