Today I want to discuss a very strange phenomenon, which we see in our democracy. The most pious act in the democracy is voting. Today we see this act has been vandalized by professional politicians. 

We see many movements afoot all over the country demanding many changes and they are accompanied with several demands by those agitators. Ruling party does not seem to have shown any concern on all these activities. I was wondering on this strange behavior of political parties such as Congress party. When I asked for explanation for that confidence the party high command displays the reply to me by one friend of mine who is also a very active worker of that party. He told me that they do not care as long as they can buy the voters when the elections will come. He told me that the agitating people do not care to show their resentment over the functioning of the party when voting comes up. We can buy the voter's votes at that time and so we are sure of our winning. However, in Maharashtra State Congress has a very strong competitor in NCP, they pay better price and so they are winning more seat. I request my readers to go back on this blog archives and read my article, “Anna Party and Anna” date 9^th September. 

These voters are least bothered for the country so do we, he reiterated. So long as buying of votes is not made illegal we have no concern on how much these agitators shout about all those things and all those problems. A voter can sell his/her vote as per our constitution and so what we do is perfectly legal; he reiterated. There is no move so far to prohibit buying of votes by any body. That is the secret of our continuous success in all elections. He beamed with a big smile on his face. I asked him how they do it. He told me the procedure; Congress party high command appoints agents to collect gullible voters who want to make some quick money by selling their voting right to anybody who pays them the best price. These voters are generally from the part of society mostly residing in zopadpatties or slum areas. They are mostly from scheduled class communities, Muslim, but others are not totally excluded. Agents talk with the leaders of those people and decide the price. That amount agent tells the party high command officials and some negotiations after, final price fixed. That amount party treasurer hands over to the agent and that of course includes commission of the agent. The voters are paid the amount part before and part after the elections as per the mutual understanding. All these things are decided at the time of negotiations. 

Pretty quick work indeed, I exclaimed on listening to this procedure but then, I asked, what if the voters betray? He told me that such deals are generally done in good faith and voters do not betray; however, in the last election in UP, voters after taking a good amount betrayed. That caused failure of Congress party in that election. If voters do not turn up in number the agent is held responsible and often punished very severely. The voters are afraid of them and always obey their command. These qualities are essential for a hoodlum to be an agent. He told me these agents are local hoodlums and they are also party workers. So far, betrayal is not experienced by his party in elections because voters who sell their voting rights to the party are in dire need of that cash and they do not want to spoil the business for no sensible reason.

 This explains why Republican Party faces defeat even though their voters are in good numbers. When I inquired about how other parties manage this business of buying votes, they told me that they do not pay cash but instead prefer to give in kind such as clothes, utensils, liquor parties etc., in south India, he told me TV sets are given to voters to buy their voting rights. 

I pointed out to him that this is not a decent way of winning an election. On that he told me that there is nothing wrong in this process. He said, this is similar to giving promises while election to the voters. The only difference is instead of vacant promises which we never wish to fulfill the voters demand money or other things in kind. What is wrong in that? He questioned. Are not voters giving votes in exchange of the vacant promises? If that is OK buying votes is also equally correct! He affirmed and said; voters who sell their voting right are definitely smarter than those who vote on false promises. At least, they get something, what the other so called honest voters get? They get only false promises. He demanded to me, tell me who is smarter? He pointed to the fact that often voters have to come on street to get their promises against what they had voted and yet they do not get them, it is better to get one time payment and relax, let the political party do what they please, now that they have purchased the voters! His points made me think of our system. 

He also told me that, if any voter who has sold his voting right comes to the party representative for help we consider him with preference as “our voter” and grant him what he/she expects. That is the deal. These voters come to the party with our agent who buys the votes. What type of help they expect? I asked; he told me, generally release of their person from the police custody or any such demands! I asked what type of crime they are held for. He said to me; it could be anything such as a robbery or pick pocketing or rioting or drug related crime or any similar type of problem! On that I remonstrated to him by saying; you people help criminals; how correct it is? On that he replied with a smile, “after all, they are our honorable voters and also citizens of our country”. This is our politics he repeatedly told me. 

These scheduled class voters and Muslims, is the sure bank of votes and so long as they keep selling their votes Congress party has nothing to worry. We really do not depend on genuine voters who think many times before voting. The number of these thinking voters is very easily washed by large number of purchased votes. The black money we talk so frequently is the source for the funds with which they buy the voters and so black money of politicians is very important to them. That is why political parties are stubborn when questioned about black money. 

When during some agitations voters make demands we the Congress high command people do not bother because we feel that as the voters have sold their voting rights they have no right to do any agitation at all. Whatever we do they must accept because we pay them well for that. He told me the logic behind this is very simple. When a voter has sold his/her vote she has lost the right to make any demands at all.            

 Following questions came to my mind, 

1. Does our constitution accept this practice of buying and selling of voting right during the election?
2. Is equating election promises with buying practice a correct argument?
3. On selling voting right to a party, do voters loose their right to make demands by agitations? By this purchase of voting rights does the political party become not answerable to people?
4. Can we have a law that prohibits this practice of buying and selling votes by any body?
5. If we ban buying and selling voting rights to any body, what punishment to the buyer and seller is possible? I am of the opinion that the only sentence they deserve is the death sentence; because this is the most heinous crime of all in the democratic system. Worst than a cold blood murder.
6. What is voting right?
7. Is voting right a commodity or a service that one may exchange for a price?
8. Can finance Ministry bring this transaction under taxation?

Finally, I want to request to Mamata Banerjee who is known to be the cleanest politician of the day, and has members in the parliament to put up a bill, to demand immediate passing of a law that bans this practice. 

On that my friends told me that, Congress party may at times, pass Anna's Lokpal Bill but shall never pass this Bill. This is because buying of votes is very important for the business of politics. 

You may contact me on my Email ID given below, 

ashokkothare@gmail.com 

You are, invited to visit my other blogs if interested. 

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