Karnataka - Belgaum   

Political parties accused of corrupting voters

Belgaum: A group of social activists on Sunday refused to accept election manifestos promising freebies released by political parties such as the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular).

At a discussion organised under the auspices of Rani Channamma Samskrutik Sangh here, social activist Dilip Kamat said the political parties seemed to have taken voters for granted by trying to corrupt them by promising freebies such as television sets, rice at Rs. 2 a kg, free power supply to irrigation pump-sets, and so on.

“This amounts to no less than bribery and encouraging voters to beggary,” he said.

Stating that though the political parties had made many promises, he said any such “gift” would be recovered by them increasing taxes or by imposing fresh levies. Prices of essential commodities had gone up. The voters should think twice before “selling” their precious vote, he added.

He sought to know why the “power-hungry” political parties were not promising to abolish some of the exploitative laws and Acts. For instance, the parties were at unanimity when it came to exploitation of farmers who had been opposing abolition of the Land Acquisition Act. This Act had facilitated the rich to acquire fertile farmland for industrial purposes at the cost of food production and livelihood of farmers. But, no party considered it fit to abolish the Act, he said.

Senior journalist and poet L.S. Shastry said that the political parties were engaged in corrupt electoral practices. The promise of giving television sets if elected to power amounted to bribery for consideration of vote.

In the past, the election manifestos highlighted policies towards nation-building. In contrast, the same parties were prepared to do anything to lure voters, he said.

The former district judge Jinadatt Desai and sangh convenor Kalyanrao Muchalambi were present.

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