A public interest litigation (PIL)seeking compulsory voting in parliament and assembly elections has been filed before the Delhi High Court.
As per the plea by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, such a move will improve the turnout during voting, which in turn will promote political participation, improve the quality of democracy and secure the right to vote.
In his plea, the lawyer said that voter turnout being low was a persistent problem in India. The remedy for this could be compulsory voting, particularly among the marginalized communities.
The plea stated that every citizen has a voice and that the government was representative of the people’s wishes. When the voter turnout was high, the government was more accountable to the people and was more likely to act in their best interests.
In his plea the petitioner has explained that when voting is compulsory, people are more likely to take an interest in politics and become engaged in the democratic process.
This, as per the plea, can help overcome voter apathy, a significant problem in India. It claims that compulsory voting can help restore faith in the democratic process and encourage people to become more involved in politics.
The PIL goes on to state that many people are disillusioned with the political system and feel that their votes do not count. Compulsory voting can help to restore faith in the democratic process and encourage people to become more involved in politics.
In his plea Upadhyay has cited countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil, which have implemented compulsory voting, have seen significant increases in voter turnout and improvements in the quality of democracy.
The PIL looks for directions to the Central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) for taking necessary steps for making compulsory voting in Parliament and assembly elections.
The plea also requests the Court to direct the ECI to use its plenary power under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution to increase voting percentage.
Alternatively, it has sought a direction to the Law Commission to prepare a report on compulsory voting.