07-23-2008, 09:50 PM
My question about small parties is it is these that are at the forefront of this cash/privileges for votes deals. While everyone bemoans the 'corruption' the majority of the large parties stood by their party whips which is good thing. So some sort of a way to have these small parties not be there at national level has to be taken to keep this type of nakras out.
My take is that a party can contest for national elections if it puts up candidates in atleast two of the other states(can be adjacent) and gets 5% of the votes polled. This will curb parochialism of the SS type for they have to gain some support in other states. Right now states reorganization of 1956 has brought back the political situation similar to that existed before the inavasions - a sort of "Heptarchy" south and north of the Vindhyas. One can see the situation is similar to China's Warring states period or that before the Muslim invasions of Deccan that were stemmed by Vijayanagar. True there wont be similar invasion but lends itself to outsiders influenceing the national psyche. Modernity has removed the beneficient and powerful control of a strong center. Its now extortion by regional and small parties that is the norm of the day!
The inability of the national parties to obtain decisive majorities is leading to the the Indian body politic being subjected to extortion when simple corruption was enough! Sort of like when Robert Clive was in Bengal.
So either national parties learn to take local issues and win or small/regional parties have to develop a national prespective.
Another controversial suggestion should be by Presidential favor- Only coaltions that are formed before the elections should be chosen when no single party gets a majority. This will avoid the natak of the Left kind of charade of outside support. Otherwise the Prseident has to have plenipotentiary powers to ensure that support is for full term and cannot be pulled at conveinence. But then this requires a law or Amendment.
My take is that a party can contest for national elections if it puts up candidates in atleast two of the other states(can be adjacent) and gets 5% of the votes polled. This will curb parochialism of the SS type for they have to gain some support in other states. Right now states reorganization of 1956 has brought back the political situation similar to that existed before the inavasions - a sort of "Heptarchy" south and north of the Vindhyas. One can see the situation is similar to China's Warring states period or that before the Muslim invasions of Deccan that were stemmed by Vijayanagar. True there wont be similar invasion but lends itself to outsiders influenceing the national psyche. Modernity has removed the beneficient and powerful control of a strong center. Its now extortion by regional and small parties that is the norm of the day!
The inability of the national parties to obtain decisive majorities is leading to the the Indian body politic being subjected to extortion when simple corruption was enough! Sort of like when Robert Clive was in Bengal.
So either national parties learn to take local issues and win or small/regional parties have to develop a national prespective.
Another controversial suggestion should be by Presidential favor- Only coaltions that are formed before the elections should be chosen when no single party gets a majority. This will avoid the natak of the Left kind of charade of outside support. Otherwise the Prseident has to have plenipotentiary powers to ensure that support is for full term and cannot be pulled at conveinence. But then this requires a law or Amendment.