Bengaluru: With byelections to 15 assembly constituencies being thrust on Karnataka a little over a year after its 2018 assembly poll, the state is once again being forced to splurge the taxpayer’s money on what many see as a wasteful and entirely avoidable exercise.
Going by Election Commission of India (ECI) data, it took `393 crore to hold the 2018 assembly elections in the state and now barely a year-and-a-half later, the bypolls to 15 constituencies are being held at an average cost of `26.32 crore.
Although the Election Commission grants only `10 lakh per candidate for the campaign, it’s an open secret that political parties spend hundreds of crores of their own to woo voters, which is much more than the money spent on elections anywhere in the world. It is believed that parties spend upto Rs 2000 crore only on distributing cash among voters and holding liquor parties to lure them to their side and another Rs 8,000 crore on advertisements, campaigning, booth capturing, travelling, and so on.
In fact, going by the submissions made before the ECI, the BJP spent `122 crore, and the Congress Rs 34 crore in the 2018 Assembly polls. The figure for the JD(S) was not available with the commission.
With money and muscle power calling the shots, many have begun to see elections as political jamborees that they are forced to be a part of at the whim and fancy of the parties of the day.
Deccan Chronicle listened in as a few Bengalureans debated the pros and cons of the byelections they had not asked for. Said an activist, Sridhar, "Byelections can be a threat to democracy if they facilitate defection. If MLAs defect for the people’s cause and to show their displeasure if a party goes back on its promises like resolving the Mahadayi issue, for instance, it’s a good thing. But defection merely for the sake of power is a threat."
Added Mr Gagan Poojari, a businessman,"A byelection is good if a vacancy is created due to the death of a candidate as this stalls all activities and work in a constituency. Even if it is an extra burden on the exchequer, it is neccessary for its development."
A private employee, Akshay R, had his own take. "A byelection is a burden on the exchequer, especially if the elected candidate defects and tries to contest again. It makes people lose confidence and belief in the Constitutional machinery," he noted.
He is not alone in his views as many others too seem to share them as the state heads for the December 5 bypolls that have become necessary following the resignation of 17 Congress and JD(S) legislators, who brought down the Kumaraswamy government in July.
