RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Sept.6: The President of India Droupadi Murmu has recommended for consideration of BJP MP Deepak Prakash’s proposal for the Compulsory Voting Bill, 2022.
Information to this effect has been made available by an undersecretary of Rajya Sabha, Ashish Desh Raj, to Prakash through a letter. President Murmu has recommended this for consideration under clause 3 of Article 117 of the Constitution of India.
Prakash had introduced the bill in the upper house on July 22 this year.
While introducing the bill, he had said that compulsory voting in the country is the needs of the hour. He said that generally it is seen that the voting percentage is not up to the mark in various elections held in the country. Despite the government’s best efforts, the average voter turnout is hardly 60 per cent. In such a situation, there is a need for such a bill to make voting compulsory for all the citizens of the country.
There are many countries such as Argentina, Australia, Chile, Fiji, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Mexico, Uruguay, Turkey etc. where voting is compulsory for all voters. In this proposed bill, a provision has been made for the punishment for those who do not vote to make voting compulsory and incentives for those who vote even in difficult circumstances.
There has been talks on confiscation of ration cards, imprisonment for two days or fine of Rs 500 to a voter who does not vote. On the other hand, the provision of withholding salary of 10 days or punishment for delay of 2 years in promotion has been mentioned for not participating in the voting without any reason. In the form of incentive, there is a mention of special exemption in jobs etc. to the concerned voter as a citizen for participating in the voting despite illness/disability.
