Know your

Right to Vote
 Why should you vote?

 India is the largest democracy in the world. The

right to vote and more importantly the exercise of

franchise by the eligible citizens is at the heart of

every democracy.

“In times of stress and strain, people will vote”- Anonymous

 Why should you vote?

 We, the people, through our right to vote have

the ultimate power to shape the destiny of
country by electing our representatives who run

the Government.

“In times of stress and strain, people will vote”- Anonymous

 Who elects our Government?

 Average polling percentage range = 50-60%

 The winning parties obtaining a maximum of 25-

27% of the total eligible voters' support means
support of less than 20% of total voters

“The ballot is stronger than bullets.” - Abraham Lincoln

 Who elects our Government?
 Many instances of the winning candidate
obtaining fewer votes than required for refund of
deposit

 So far, no national government in India has

been elected with a majority vote

 Even the largest parliamentary majorities were

based on less than 50% voter support.

“The ballot is stronger than bullets.” - Abraham Lincoln

 Who can vote?

You are eligible to vote if:

You are an Indian citizen

You are 18 years or older

You are an Ordinary Resident at your current

location i.e. you have been living at your
current address for 6 months or longer.

“There can no longer be anyone too poor to vote”

 Electoral Roll
 An electoral roll is a list of all eligible citizens
who are entitled to cast their vote in an
election. The electoral rolls are prepared
Assembly Constituency wise.

 To exercise your franchise, the first and

foremost requirement is that your name
should be in the electoral roll.

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”

 Elector’s Photo Identity Card
 Mere possession of an EPIC issued to you does

not guarantee you your vote, because it is

mandatory that your name should appear in the
electoral roll.

“Thinking is not to agree or disagree. That is voting.”

 Disclosure by candidates
Election Commission of India has made it mandatory
that all candidates must file an affidavit along with
their nomination form with details such as:

 his/her criminal antecedents

 his/her assets and liabilities and those of his/her
spouse and dependents
 his/her educational background

“It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting.”

 Any citizen of the country can obtain copies of

the nomination form and the affidavit filed by

any candidate from the Returning Officer and it
shall not be refused.

 As a voter you have every right to seek this

information and get it.

“The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear”

 Corrupt practices or Electoral offences
 Offering or accepting money or any other
gratification either to vote for or not to vote for a
particular candidate.

 Inducement by way of liquor, feast, gifts, etc. to

vote for or not to vote for a particular candidate.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

 Corrupt practices or Electoral offences
 Inducement to vote or not to vote for a particular
candidate on the grounds of religion, caste,
community, sectarian beliefs or place of birth.

 Threat to an elector of ex-communication if he

votes for or against a particular candidate.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

 Corrupt practices or Electoral offences

 Offer of free conveyance to any elector to go to or

from any polling station.

“The ignorance of one voter in democracy impairs security of all”

 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 125 MPs with criminal backgrounds in the 14th

Lok Sabha.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

BJP MP from Gujarat, Babubhai Katara, was

held for trying to take a woman abroad on
his wife's passport

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

On March 18, 2007, former Chhattisgarh

chief minister, Ajit Jogi, arrested by the CBI
in connection with the murder of NCP
treasurer Ram Avtar Jaggi

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader,

Shibu Soren, was given life imprisonment for
murdering his aide.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

BJP MP, Navjot Singh Sidhu was awarded a

suspended sentence of three years for
causing the death of a man in a road rage
accident.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

 Operation Duryodhana: 12 MPs caught

on camera receiving cash for raising
questions in the Parliament in the interest
of the North Indian Small Manufacturers’
Association (NISMA).

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 1/4th MPs of Lok Sabha are tainted

 Few samples :

 Operation Chakravyuh: exposed the

MPs accepting bribes for giving work
contracts under the MPLAD scheme.

“Our elections are free - it's in the results where eventually we pay”
 MPs failing in their duties
 Time lost in Slogan shouting, walk-outs,
boycotts:
 11th Lok Sabha – 5%
 12th Lok Sabha – 10%
 13th Lok Sabha – 22.4%
 14th Lok Sabha – 26%

 Each minute of Parliament costs the exchequer

Rs 26,035

Constantly choosing lesser of two evils is still choosing evil

 Criminal Charges by State
State Total seats Criminal Cases % of state
Daman and Diu 1 1 100%
Jharkhand 14 7 50%
Goa 2 1 50%
Maharashtra 48 19 40%
Punjab 13 5 38%
Bihar 40 16 40%
Kerala 20 6 30%
Uttar Pradesh 80 23 29%
NCT of Delhi 7 2 29%
Gujarat 26 7 27%
Chhattisgarh 11 3 27%
Madhya Pradesh 29 7 24%

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

 Criminal Charges by State
State Total seats Criminal Cases % of state
Tamil Nadu 39 8 21%
Karnataka 28 6 21%
Haryana 10 2 20%
Orissa 21 3 14%
West Bengal 42 5 12%
Rajasthan 25 3 12%
Andhra Pradesh 42 4 10%
Andaman and Nicobar 1
Arunachal Pradesh 2
Assam 14
Chandigarh 1
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 1

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

 Criminal Charges by State
State Total seats Criminal Cases % of state
Himachal Pradesh 4
Jammu and Kashmir 6
Lakshadweep 1
Manipur 2
Meghalaya 2
Mizoram 1
Nagaland 1
Puducchery 1
Sikkim 1
Tripura 2
Uttarakhand 5

Total All India 543 128 24%

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

 Criminal Charges by Parties
Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of party
JMM 5 5 100%
SHS 12 7 58%
NCP 9 5 56%
SAD 8 4 50%
BSP 19 8 42%
JD(U) 8 3 38%
RJD 24 11 46%
AIFB 3 1 33%
JD(S) 3 1 33%
SP 36 11 31%
CPI 10 3 30%
DMK 16 4 25%

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

 Criminal Charges by Parties
Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of party
LJNSP 4 1 25%
MDMK 4 1 25%
BJP 138 29 21%
INC 145 26 18%
CPM 43 7 16%
BJD 11 1 9%
AGP 2
AIMIM 1
AITC 2
BNP 1
IFDP 1
IND 5

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

 Criminal Charges by Parties
Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of party
JKN 2
JKPDP 1
KEC 1
MNF 1
MUL 1
NLP 1
NPF 1
PMK 6
RLD 3

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

 Criminal Charges by Parties
Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of party
RPI(A) 1
RSP 3
SDF 1
SJP(R) 1
TDP 5
TRS 5
Total 543 128 24%

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

 Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs

Other
BJP INC CPM CPI BSP NCP SP RJD * Total
Murder, attempt to murder,
culpable murder, causing
suicide etc 7 4 2 1 17 0 27 5 24 84
Robbery and dacoity 0 4 0 0 8 0 4 0 1 17
Kidnapping 0 1 0 0 2 0 6 1 2 11
Theft and extortion 1 0 0 0 3 0 13 3 8 28
Rape 1 1
Other violent crimes - using
dangerous weapons, causing
grievous hurt, assault on
woman etc 9 7 3 0 13 2 30 4 20 88
Total violent crimes 17 16 5 1 43 2 80 13 56 229

“No matter whom you vote, the Government always gets in”
 Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs

Other
BJP INC CPM CPI BSP NCP SP RJD * Total
Dishonesty, cheating, fraud,
forgery, dealing in stolen
property 5 17 6 0 23 0 11 18 7 87
False oaths 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 16
Defiling place of worship 1 1
Total other serious crimes 11 21 6 0 23 0 11 22 10 104
Total all violent and serious
crimes 28 37 11 1 66 2 91 35 66 333

“No matter whom you vote, the Government always gets in”