The supervision of election of local
bodies of governance is vested with the State Election Commission. The state
makes available staff
as may be necessary for the discharge of the functions conferred . It is left to The legislature of state to
make laws and provisions for election of local bodies.
Different states have enacted their own provisions for the
local body elections while keeping the essence of representation of weaker
sections and tenure of the bodies.
Expenditure limit of municipal elections has a
wide variation in different sates. Though also related to socio-economic
and level of urbanization, there seems to huge variance. In Odisha For NACs and
municipalities with a population of up to 50,000, a candidate can spend a
maximum of Rs 30,000. In case of municipalities with a population between
50,000 and 1 lakh, the maximum expenditure is Rs 40,000, while in areas with
more than 1 lakh people, a candidate can spend Rs 50,000. While in Maharashtra The expenditure limit
for candidates contesting elections to the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC)
has been increased to Rs 5 lakh. The expenditure limit for Pune, Pimpri
Chinchwad, Thane, Nashik and Navi Mumbai civic bodies has been raised to Rs 4
lakh . The expenditure limit
for those contesting the Zilla parishad elections has been increased to Rs 3
lakh .
Arguments can be put forth that raising
the limits allows a level playing field in run up to elections in a locality
.
The larger question pertaining however is
that if raising limit is the only solution. The amount involved is certainly
a deterrent for many in the
weaker or weakest sections of the society. State Funding of candidates
has been doing the rounds for long in India. The local body elections can be
the best laboratory to experiment.A good beginning would be to fund in kind by
the state the Genuine Candidates with a certain number of
recommendation by the local populace .
Even in case of no state funding ,the expenditure limits can be
monitored strictly after rationalization of the limit of expenditure.
NOTA(Non of the Above) selection being provided in EVMs
by the Election Commission is a certainly a good omen . Provision for Re-election
with barring of the contesting candidates of the first exercise if percentage
of vote for NOTA is more than a prescribed limit is a logical step forward. The
local body elections can provide
ideal field for application of this
election reform.
Other reforms like right to recall can be
best experimented at levels where the number of electorates is the
minimum. The ‘political will’ for such reforms will be more forthcoming than at provincial
of national level. Slightly
more stringent rules regards disqualification on criminal grounds than in
assembly or parliament elections can be enacted in local elections.
The level of personal contact between
the candidates and the electorate in local body elections touches the
highest level of direct contact. It sometimes leads
to direct bribing or intimidation to voters. It
remains an area where educating voter seems to be the only way forward.
Publishing of the affidavit by the candidates regards their wealth and criminal
cases pending against them at the polling booth during the Campaign can be one of the
measures to stop the menace.
