Is it fair practice to distribute gifts to voters?
To woo the voters to exercise their right to franchise the UT Chandigarh Election Commission has come with noble idea that at each polling booth the election commission will provide surprise gifts and cash vouchers to the first 10 voters. There are approximately 500 polling booths in city beautiful. If we take the cost of a gift at say just Rs.50/- then by rough estimate Rs.2,50,000-00 will have to be spent on surprise gifts for one small constituency. Election Commission can not give step motherly treatment to the voters spread all over India in 572 constituencies and at the same rate a sum of Rs.15 crores will be required. At the same time election commission expects the voters not to be ferried by political parties to the polling booths as it will be treated as influencing the voters. Election Commission Department has reportedly tied up with city hotels to offer discounts to the voters who will have to show indelible mark on their finger.Is it fair practice to distribute gifts to voters? What a sale promotion technique by hotels and restaurants in connivance with the powers that may be. Will Election Commission call for tenders to offer their cash vouchers as some may provide 250 gram curd against 10 rupee cash voucher and others may offer 100 gram curd against same cash voucher. What will happen to the unused cash vouchers? another question in the offing.
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