Supreme Court Should Ban False Electoral Promises

Vijay Sharma

(The writer is based at Himmar in Hamirpur)

Elections are five years affair game that provides voters an opportunity to elect the government of their choice. People elect government on the basis of their performance, policies and behaviour. As election nears, claims made by the ruling party reach to a new high and the government goes on an announcements spree. On the other hand opposition party makes hollow and false claims and publicises its election manifesto as vision document.

However in real it is only a paper containing false promises, the reality of which is known to both the person who has drafted it and one who reads it in public. But despite that people have to choose among the given candidates as the option of NOTA has not emerged popular until now. There in no case reported in India till now where people have rejected all the candidates through NOTA option. And it happens because political parties and candidates create an illusion with their alluring promises to enjoy power for five years.

Ironically there is no such rule or law in the country that either stops a party or candidate from making false promises or take action against the erring party in case promises made are not fulfilled. This could happen only when Election Commission and Supreme Court meddle in affairs and make provisions for civil and criminal cases against the candidate who make false promises.

The condition of biggest democracy is such that public has been put to its lowest level. Whole system is in the grip of political leaders, bureaucrats and other officers. No doubt governments changes, parties changes and new faces comes to power. But the condition of the system remains same with public becoming its victim always. The constitutional institutions will have to step forward to clear their view about changing the system. People still remembers former election commissioner T.N. Sheshan for bringing election reforms. The blueprint of whatever positive changes we witness today in elections had been made during his tenure. The supreme court added few features in this direction with making necessary information mandatory in an affidavit filed during election nominations.

Filing of a false affidavit is not merely an electoral offence but also a ground for setting aside of the election. But still candidates and political parties are not considered answerable for making false promises during election time. The supreme court should take a lead in this direction also and make it mandatory for party president and candidate to furnish an affidavit for fulfiling promises the candidate makes during elections with a provision of apt punishment in case of its violation.

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