Law needed to check reckless promises of political parties, says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu
Naidu slammed “unsustainable” populist promises and argued that a law is required to check such measures as it harms the poor and the middle class.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu wants a law to check “reckless and unsustainable populist” promises of political parties. In a speech in Hyderabad on Thursday, he also pitched for simultaneous elections to curb money power in politics.
Speaking at an event organised by Foundation for Democratic Reforms, Bharat Institute of Public Policy and the Hyderabad University, Naidu said that the use of money in politics have raised concerns that “you have better chances of becoming an MP or an MLA at the cost of a more qualified candidate who is poor”.
Naidu slammed “unsustainable” populist promises and argued that a law like Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) is now required to check such measures as it harms the poor and the middle class.
The FRBM act was passed in 2003 by Indian Parliament for institutionalising financial discipline and reducing the fiscal deficit to a manageable limit to improve the overall financial health. It aimed for better use of public funds.
“Perhaps a time has come to consider a suitable legislation on the lines of FRBM Act,” Naidu said adding, “If a cap is introduced on the proportion of budgetary resources that can be deployed for short term benefits by law, then perhaps all parties will have a level playing field, and reckless and unsustainable populist promises can be kept under check.”
The Vice President underlined that a transparent budget helps to translate tax money into tangible services which are critical to help citizens make informed political choices.
Naidu also suggested that Parliament should think of making a law for ensuring transparency in the polity and to make accounts of political parties public.
A candid Naidu maintained that political parties need money to run their offices elections cost money for the parties and candidates.
But raising serious concerns over use of money in politics he said, “The money power is placing entry barriers to the more deserving but who are less endowed in terms of resources.”
Pointing out that 88 per cent of Lok Sabha MPs are ‘crorepatis’, he quipped, “This paradox of poor India with rich parliamentarians is raising concerns about growing role of money power in politics.”
“It has been reported that money power influences election processes in 40 wide ranging ways. These include selecting a candidate, setting up dummy candidates, financing weaker candidates of other parties, hiring vehicles, buying space in media, bribing voters through money, biryani, alcohol and consumer goods etc,” he said.
According to Naidu, mere expenditure ceilings and exhortations are not enough.
Naidu also supported simultaneous elections saying, “Simultaneous polls could also significantly bring down the cost of holding elections by the Election Commission of India and also the expenditure by the political parties besides other advantages. Hence, I urge upon the political parties to seriously consider the option of simultaneous polls and evolve a consensus.”
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