Sanctity of voting process at stake

Can the sanctity of the voting process be compromised? Such doubts have cropped up after a huge controversy broke out on Thursday over the alleged securing of sensitive voter data by a NGO with its representatives allegedly posing as government officials.

They reportedly collected personal data such as Aadhaar card and voter ID numbers, marital status, caste and gender details and the like in one of the Bengaluru constituencies which made the opposition Congress claim that this is a voter-based fraud which deserves to be investigated under the supervision of the high court Chief Justice.

For every Indian above eighteen, the voting right is something extremely precious for it offers him an opportunity to be the master of Indian democracy forcing every leader, however mighty he may be, to approach him seeking his vote.

He could soon be forgotten once the polls are over and a new government is in place but till the election process is completed, the voter knows how powerful he is. The gathering of sensitive information like caste profile and voter details could very well be worked on by political parties to tune their poll strategies in tune with the overall demographic picture in each constituency.

And as the Congress claims, how can the ruling party try to secure an undue advantage over others just because it is in the seat of power and can utilise state resources for its benefit? Elections in India have always been influenced by extraneous factors- they are attempts to woo voter with freebies and inducements with different parties vying to outdo each other in such attempts.

Whether it is cash, booze or utility items like cookers and fans, parties are known to reach out to voters with such gifts, who in turn find it difficult to say no to pleas to vote for the donor’s candidate. Nor is the voting process as clean as it should be-attempts are inevitably made to use money and muscle power to sway voters.

Booth capturing and violence during voting are rampant in every election and more so when a party’s adherents suspect that they could end up on the losing side. With Karnataka set to go to polls in five months, there is an immediate need to make sure no tampering of the electoral process takes place. In 2018, there was a huge hue and cry when around 10,000 voter IDs were recovered from a flat in the capital city with fingers being pointed at the sitting MLA Munirathna.

Hundreds and thousands of names mysteriously go missing from the voters list as polls approach. There are even allegations of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being tampered with though the veracity of such charges is yet to be proved.

All that the ordinary Indian voter wants is a government which fulfils his expectations of a good life, keeps prices under control, comes up with development programmes to up his standards of living and ensures peace and harmony. People brave the heat and cold to vote in a better government and when attempts are made to besmirch the electoral process, such fraudulent attempts will have to be fought by all means.

We will have to wait for the report of the probe ordered by the Election Commission into Vote-Gate but we can be sure that as polling date approaches, sinister attempts will be made to thwart the will of the voter. Eternal vigilance, as the saying goes, is the price we have to pay for libert