Modi govt set to re-introduce compulsory voting bill
The Modi government in Gujarat is set to re-introduce compulsory voting bill in the state Assembly in the two-day brief Assembly session beginning on September 6.
The compulsory voting bill called Gujarat Local Authorities Law (Amendment) Bill 2009 to make voting mandatory in local self-governing bodies was passed by the state a
ssembly in December, 2009. Newly-appointed law and legislative affairs minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja confirmed that the bill will be re-introduced in the Assembly session.
However, governor Kamla had returned the bill in April, 2010 to the state government saying that it violates Article 19 of the Indian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and expression.
The main objections cited by the governor were, the bill violates constitutional provision which does not allow voting to be made mandatory and no punishment can be meted out for not participating in the exercise of voting. Moreover, the governor has also noted that the mandatory voting bill be separated from the 50 per cent reservation for women in the local bodies elections. The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009, which also seeks to raise the reservation of seats for women in local self-governing bodies from 33 to 50 per cent, was passed by voice vote in the state Assembly on December 19, 2009. The Opposition had demanded separate bills for 50 per cent reservation for women and for mandatory voting in local self governance bodies. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil recently demanded that the bill seeking to enhance reservation for women should be separated so that it can be passed and implemented during the forthcoming local bodies polls in the state.
Under the mandatory voting bill, if a voter fails to vote for the reasons other than prescribed in the rules, he may be declared a “defaulter voter” and would face consequences for which rules will be framed and placed before the Assembly for its approval later.
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