Democracy Eludes Indian Political Parties

Prof N.K. Singh

Former Chairman International Airports Authority of India

Election or selection of Rahul Gandhi has ignited fierce debate on the internal democracy of the party. Nevertheless the country with its parliamentary democracy and electoral process takes pride in boasting of being the largest democracy in the world. Although parliamentary model of government is under fire, yet the biggest issue is internal party democracy of the political parties. If elected representatives are sine qua non of a democracy, then most of the parties in India lack democratic process of power distribution within the party structure.

When Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister of India, manycritics, especially from the Congress, called it ascent of dictatorship. He had faced electoral process when at one time his getting to be PM nominee was also doubtful and L.K. Advani was a strong contender. Sure Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh must have played their part in influencing the choice but so is the case in every cadre based party like Communists.

After his assuming prime minister ship, constant volley of criticism of autocracy is raised against him by the opposition. He is even now called Hitler or autocrat by the rivals. But he has proved in his working that he is not acting arbitrarily to deal with his ministers or with party leaders or with the opposition. Take the case of Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and Arun Shourie, all three have constantly pricked his ego and even brayed him on different matters recently on two major changes of demonetization and GST.

These three leaders of Modi’s own party and entire opposition has provoked him right and left but he remained unruffled. He rightly says that there was a time when media sought nod of a former PM before critical item was published but now freedom of expression is unquestioned. It is still possible to exude influence on the media through indirect process but by and large there are no apparent curbs. It is indicator of breathing in fresh air. Now Rahul Gandhi has been (selected /elected?), there is all kind of talk of democracy when the defenders of his brigade describe it democracy or blames the BJP also for not following democratic system.

There is no doubt that one after other if Gandhi rules the country, he will face at least other parties do not have such constant dynastic production. Other examples would wither away in course of time which are represented by Mayawati and Mamta Banerjee are arbitrary irrespective of the democratic election or not their working is totally autocratic. But the Congress claims to be democratic.

The crucial issue before the party is to claim or to be honest in declaring that it follows dynastic rule as rightly described by Mani Shanker Aiyar of the INC that royal followed their own tradition e.g. Mughal emperors. He too made a twist in the end by saying we are not doing like them. Being less than them, the party is thinking of royals and need not be hypocritic to profess that it has constitution and follows the same in democratic manner. I have first hand experience of how the constitution is thrown to the winds and arbitrary selection happens. All district  president of the party in a state are nominated and the high command nominates the state president; They in turn vote for the high command. What a circuitous way of the same people taking decision about themselves.

Now with the big bang Shehzad Punawala, a secretary of Maharashtra Congress, has openly questioned the internal autocracy and described the election of Rahul as rigged. To put it in simple manner, all delegates are appointed by a boss who in turn is later elected by his appointees. Egg and chicken system continues without even an iota of democratic participation. The result is that hypocrisy and sycophancy are rampant in the party. Another flaw in the system of royal nomination is that loyalty and not merit are supreme in working of the party. It depends on the caliber of the leader to determine who to take in the circle of power, whom you don’t want to accept and ignore. But as Shehzad says why practice untruth or make false claims. It is also for the people to demand transparency in following constitutional norms and Election Commission should enforce it.

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