New Delhi, April 1: Members in the Lok Sabha were divided on whether India should make voting compulsory in elections.
Participating in a debate on a private member’s bill to make voting compulsory Friday, BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal supported the move and said that while people remember their fundamental rights, they forget their fundamental duties, one of which is to vote.
He also said that people should be made to realise that their one vote is essential for national building.
“People who don’t vote, should not get the benefits of government schemes for a period of five years,” he said.
He also suggested that every voter identity card should be linked to Aadhar card and in case of bogus voting, even the person’s bank account can be seized.
IUML’s ET Mohammad Basheer said that while the concept is good, the country is not ready for it. He raised the issue of NRI votes and said that it is time to realise their contribution to this nation.
He said that free and fearless elections can encourage people to come out to vote.
BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri said that in most countries, the voting percentage has decreased. He listed countries like Belgium, Peru, Singapore, Turkey, Switzerland among others which have the compulsory voting system.
He said that in most of these countries people have to provide an explanation for not voting — a system that should be replicated in India.
Congress MP Abdul Khaleque refuted Bidhuri claims and said that it was wrong to say that in countries where compulsory voting system was in place, people voted more.
He said that countries like Chile have abandoned the system altogether.
“Democracy is the right to choose or not to choose. Compulsory voting would mean that one has to choose,” he said.
Khaleque said that the voting percentage depends on trust of the people in the system.
“The more the trust, the more will be the voting percentage,” he said.
He also pointed out that there are places in the country where people go to vote but are not allowed to.
The Compulsory Voting Bill, 2019 was moved by BJP MP Janardan Singh ‘Sigriwal’ on July 12 to provide for compulsory voting by the electorate in the country.
In a reply to a query in Lok Sabha on March 25, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said that there is no proposal to bring a law to enforce compulsory voting in the country.
In a written reply, Rijiju also said there are no plans to make voting certificate mandatory to avail government benefits and schemes and induce people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise. (PTI)
