Letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India

Yesterday I received a letter from Shri T. S. Krishnamurthy, Chief Election Commissioner of India. It was a reply to my email regarding my experience on the 10th of May. The ECI mistook it as I was not able to vote because of delition of my name from the electroral roll. Along with clarification I send some requests.

During the pre-EVM era, voters were atleast able to cast ‘invalid votes’ through ballot papers. Although I am against invalid voting, atleast there was a chance to perform the right to vote. Here are the requests:

1. Please provide a ‘vote down’ button on the EVM to perform our Right to Vote with Freedom.

2. Please declare won, only those candidates who received one more than half the number of votes polled, to ensure clear majority.

3. Please strictly observe that contesting political parties are holding organisational elections prior to the announcement of general elections.

4. Please make it mandatory for political parties to conduct organisational elections with ‘vote down’ option and ‘50%+1 vote to win’ criterion.

Would you like to add or improve?

Do we have FREEDOM to VOTE?

"The right to vote is a sacred right and an onerous responsibility that we owe to the motherland....By casting your vote to a candidate who in your opinion can represent you in the Lok Sabha, you are sowing the seeds for creating a prosperous India, a happy India, a safe India, a secure India and above all an India with nobility."- Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, Honourable President of India

What a voter is supposed to do if he/she can’t find a suitable candidate?
Oh yes, he/she can stand in election and vote against his/her name!
Or vote for someone who is a candidate because he/she got money or influence, against one’s conscience!
Otherwise sit quiet at home!

As I was not able to digest these, on 10th May 2004 I came to vote at the 64th booth in Puthenchira panchayat of Mukundapuram Lok Sabha constituency, belonging to the state of Kerala of the largest democracy in the world, INDIA. I finished all the formalities, ink was applied on my finger, but had to return without voting!
No other choice were available...
Do you have any?

Begining...

This is the first posting to the blog dedicated to voters of the largest democracy in the world, INDIA, who really don't have 'freedom to vote'!