right to vote

Right to Vote

Know your

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

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.

Why should you vote?

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

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.

Why should you vote?

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 elects our Government?

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”

Who can vote?

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.”

Electoral Roll

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.”

Elector’s Photo Identity Card

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.”

Disclosure by candidates

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”

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.



Offer of free conveyance to any elector to go to or from any polling station.



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”


Few samples :

BJP MP from Gujarat, Babubhai Katara, was held for trying to take a woman abroad on his wife's passport



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



Few samples :

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, Shibu Soren, was given life imprisonment for murdering his aide.



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.



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).



Few samples :

Operation Chakravyuh: exposed the MPs accepting bribes for giving work contracts under the MPLAD scheme.


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

MPs failing in their duties

Constantly choosing lesser of two evils is still choosing evil

State Total seats Criminal Cases % of stateDaman 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%

Criminal Charges by State

“Votes should be weighed, not counted” – Freidrich

State Total seats Criminal Cases % of stateTamil 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



State Total seats Criminal Cases % of stateHimachal 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%



Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of partyJMM 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%

Criminal Charges by Parties

“Voting is a civic sacrament” – Theodore Hesburgh

Criminal Charges by PartiesParty 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 1AITC 2BNP 1IFDP 1IND 5


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



Party Total MPs Criminal cases % of partyRPI(A) 1RSP 3SDF 1SJP(R) 1TDP 5TRS 5 Total 543 128 24%



BJP INC CPM CPI BSP NCP SP RJDOther

* TotalMurder, 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

Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs

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

BJP INC CPM CPI BSP NCP SP RJDOther

* TotalDishonesty, 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

Lok Sabha 2004: Serious Criminal Charges against elected MPs

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

Jai Hind

“SACHCHE KO CHUNEY, ACHCHE KO CHUNEY”

right to vote

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