New Delhi: The Election Commission has convened an all party meeting on February 15 here to discuss the Centre's proposal on state funding of parliamentary and assembly polls with a view to curbing money power in elections.

Commission sources told The Hindu that invitations were sent to six recognised national and 44 State-level political parties asking them to send by January 31 their written submissions to facilitate wide range discussions on the issue. The parties have also been asked to depute their representatives (two from national parties and one each from State parties) to the meeting.

On December 22, 2005, the Union Cabinet approved in principle the state funding of polls and wrote to the Commission seeking its views on various aspects.

Sources said the Commission would ascertain the parties' views before sending its recommendations to the Government.

The proposed funding would not be in cash, but in the form of providing facilities for candidates to facilitate their campaign.

Topics for discussion

Discussions would broadly be on the issues of whether rent-free accommodation could be given to recognised political parties for their headquarters with one rent-free telephone and the amount of time to be distributed on private cable television network and electronic media.

Furthermore, the question whether candidates of recognised parties could be allotted specified quantity of petrol/diesel and paper for printing and postal stamps of a certain specified amount would also be included in the talks. Also, it had been suggested that for assembly polls one set of loudspeakers, and for parliamentary elections one set of loudspeakers for every assembly segment, subject to a maximum of six such sets, could be supplied.

It has also been suggested that one telephone with a specified number of free calls for one assembly segment for assembly polls and one telephone for every assembly segment for parliamentary polls, subject to a maximum of six telephones, could be given to the parties.

Minimum arrangements

It was also suggested that on the day of poll, some minimum arrangements for the candidates' camps at each polling station and supply of refreshments to counting agents could be made. Sources said the Union Cabinet would consider the matter again after receiving the views of the Commission and the various parties.

The Centre has been paying attention for some time to the issue of removing money power in elections and attendant malpractices. In 1972, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Amendments to Election Laws had suggested that the burden of legitimate election expenses borne by candidates or the political parties be shifted to the state. In 1978, the Tarkunde Committee appointed by the Citizens For Democracy had also suggested the form of financial assistance, which may be given through public revenue to the candidates. In 1990, the Dinesh Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms had also recommended state funding of elections, but only in kind. The Law Commission of India in its 170th Report on Review of Election Laws (1999) recommended that in the present situation only partial state funding could be contemplated as a first step towards state funding.

On June 7, 2004, the President in his address to the joint session of Parliament had announced that as part of the Government's commitment on electoral reforms, it would consider steps to introduce state funding of elections.

It is also one of the items of the National Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance Government, it was pointed out.

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