100 per cent tax exemption to break the nexus between corporates and political parties
Former chief election commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy
Chennai: Former chief election commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy has suggested a national election fund with 100 per cent tax exemption to break the nexus between corporates and political parties.Participating in a discussion on Saturday on the recent Assembly elections in Delhi, which saw the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) score an impressive victory over political giants like the BJP and Congress, he said the nexus should be snapped as early as possible.
Mr Krishnamurthy said, “Donations to parties by major corporate firms invariably have the tendency to influence policy formulations.”The discussion was organised by the Triplicane Cultural Academy and also saw the participation of Lok Satta Party founder and former bureaucrat Jayaprakash Narayan.Mr Krishnamurthy suggested that the national election fund would be properly accounted for and then availed of by the parties. The election of AAP in Delhi at the cost of the BJP and Congress, should be seen as a historic turning point in the country’s democratic process.
Mr Jayaprakash Narayan expressed delight over AAP winning the Delhi elections. He identified three challenges commonly witnessed during electoral campaigning that need to be tackled immediately. “Buying of votes by parties, the promise of freebies and the polarisation of voters during a campaign are to be taken care of,” he said. He added that the problem of illegitimate money used for illegitimate purposes during elections warrants attention.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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