The Hindu : Poll reforms on the anvil, says Advani

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Saturday, May 17, 2003

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Poll reforms on the anvil, says Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI May 16. The Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, said here today that the Government was contemplating major electoral reforms to strengthening the parliamentary democracy.

Mr. Advani did not elaborate the legislative or administrative measures on the cards but hinted that they would be aimed at eradicating malpractices. He had studied in detail the history of evolution of electoral practices in Britain and was impressed by the way the people there cleansed their electoral system, he said.

He had found that the murkiest polling in India today would look absolutely pure compared to what happened in the British elections in the 18th century and today they had one of the most non-corrupt polling. Mr. Advani was addressing a gathering here after releasing a book, `Parliamentary Democracy 1952-2002: An Overview,' edited by journalists, Abhay Mokashi and Lakshmikant Joshi and published by Vishwa Samvad Kendra, a Sangh Parivar outfit.

Mr. Advani paid glowing tributes to the Indian democracy and hailed how an impoverished and illiterate Indian had proved the Western pundits wrong who had predicted that the parliamentary democracy would not survive in India.

The reason for the survival and strengthening of democracy in India was the Indian ethos of not just tolerating others' views but also respecting them.

The bipartisan system has not developed in the country but bipolarism has taken root in the Indian democracy that has strengthened it, he said.

The former editor of a Marathi daily, Arun Tikekar, was also felicitated on the occasion. The BJP general secretary and former Union Minister, Pramod Mahajan, presided over the function.

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