You can win polls without money power too, says DHS
Council chairman Shankaramurthy stresses on the need for state funded elections.
Bangalore: Only the moneyed can contest elections today. But MLAs like Kimmane Rathnakar (Thirthalli, Shimoga), Y.S.V Datta (Kadur) and Prasanna Kumar (Shimoga city) are an exception as they won the people’s hearts.
In fact, Prasanna Kumar won the elections despite big money flowing into the constituency – said Legislative Council chairman and veteran BJP leader D.H. Shankaramurthy, indirectly targeting his own party colleague and former deputy chief minister K.S. Eshwarappa, who lost the previous Assembly elections to Congress candidate Prasanna Kumar.
Shankaramurthy, who was speaking at a workshop-roundtable on ‘Electoral Reforms’ organised by Jan Sangram Parishat in the city on Sunday also recalled the contributions of former Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan in curbing bogus voting.
“It is time for state-funded elections. Every deserving candidate should be able to contest elections. People like me, and senior leaders like K.R. Pet Krishna and A.T. Ramaswamy are still in active politics but cannot imagine contesting the elections today.
In fact, a Rajya Saba member had recently remarked that all the RS members had paid for their seats. I am not surprised as Rajya Sabha MPs from Karnataka are no exception. Worse, they have done little for the State,” charged Shankaramurthy.
“The Delhi poll results have shown what the common man can do. So, youth should get involved in the democratic process to bring about change,” added Shankaramurthy.
Retired Chief Justice of India Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, who inaugurated the workshop blamed caste politics and money power for the deterioration of the country. “A major concern is the role of money in elections and votes being cast on caste considerations. EC should curb this unhealthy development,” said Justice Venkatachaliah.
Supreme Court advocate and social activist Prashant Bhushan dubbed the Lokpal Bill useless and an election gimmick of the Congress. “But the party will not gain a single vote on this account,” said Bhushan.