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`Secret ballot principle applies to all elections'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 5 . The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today hoped that the Supreme Court would examine the issues of change of federal character in Parliament and violation of democratic principle by doing away with secret ballot for elections to the Rajya Sabha.

The CPI (M) Polit Bureau said in a statement that the change in the nature of elected representatives to the Rajya Sabha and the procedure to elect them were now before the Court.

It said the law was amended to do away with the domicile/ residential qualification for electing members to the Rajya Sabha. Further, the open ballot system was introduced for electing Rajya Sabha members by the members of the State legislatures.

Emphasising that the CPI (M) was opposed to both these changes, the statement said that according to the constitutional arrangement, the members elected to the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) should be from the States concerned. "This is an expression of the federal character in Parliament."

Secondly, the secret ballot principle applied to all elections.

Exempting elections to the Rajya Sabha from this principle was a violation of the democratic principle.

"The Polit Bureau hopes the Supreme Court will examine these issues which have serious implications for the constitutional arrangement and the democratic system," the statement added.

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