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Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well ?

Following are some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country to reform political parties :

1. Anti-defection Law: This law was passed during Rajiv Gandhi's Premiership. The law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring defection down. At the same time this has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.

2. Details of Property and Criminal Proceedings During Nomination: It is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system of check if the information given by the candidates is true.

3. Mandatory Organizational Elections and IT Returns: The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality.

Suggestions for Future:

• A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties.

• It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.

• There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

These suggestions have not yet been accepted by political parties. If and when these are accepted these could lead to some improvement. But we must be very careful about legal solutions to political problems. Over-regulation of political parties can be counterproductive. This would force all parties to find ways to cheat the law.

There are two other ways in which political parties can be reformed:

1. People's Pressure: As per an old hindi saying a public gets the leadership it deserves. Most of the people in India have indifferent attitude towards happenings around them. Once public becomes aware and starts asserting its thoughts it will be easier to reform the political landscape of India.

2. People's Participation: If nice people will continue shunning politics then we will continue to get leaders with criminal backgrounds. Off late eminent personalities from other fields have started joining politics. This is good sign for the future of Indian politics.