Electoral reforms: Imperatives for change in democratic structure

“Democracy is a form of government which may be rationally defended not as being good, but as being less bad than any other –William Ralph Inge

India is the largest and one of the most vibrant democracies of the world. It is true that we have been able to run a democratic system for more than six decades and we should be proud of it because the very few developing countries have actually been able to cover this complex transition from a colonial state to a democratic nation. One of the most important features of a democratic polity is time bound, independent, free and fair elections. Elections constitute the signpost of a democracy. These are the medium through which the attitudes, values and beliefs of the people towards their political environment are reflected. Elections grant people a government and the government has a constitutional legitimacy to govern those who elect it. Elections are the central democratic procedure for selecting and controlling leaders. Elections provide an opportunity to the people to express their faith in the government from time to time and change it when the need arises. Elections symbolise the sovereignty of the people and provide legitimacy to the authority of the government. Thus, free and fair elections are indispensable for the success of democracy, but if the electoral process becomes anomalous and maligned, the whole edifice of democracy will get infected and crumble. Unfortunately, elections infested with all sorts of anomalies and maladies have become common in India. One may even go further and call India ‘a functioning anarchy’ rather than ‘democratic republic’. Many people fear that the anarchic element has multiplied to such an extent that Indian democracy might soon find it impossible to function in accordance with the rules of the concept. This paper explores what are the imperatives for change in democratic structure so as to ensure good governance.