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Okay, this is an important point. And deserves some deliberation. Should India allow postal ballots to everyone, not just armed forces? My answer is: No, it shouldn't. Thread. 1/n https://twitter.com/AmartyaLahiri/status/1324485852823658496
In India, the line between legislature and executive is very murky. I am not just talking of stuff like MPLADs, MLALADS,
and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, which allow legislators to perform executive roles. In fact, these schemes/funds/policies are problematic in themselves. 2/n
and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, which allow legislators to perform executive roles. In fact, these schemes/funds/policies are problematic in themselves. 2/n
(Read this by MR Madhavan to explain the problems: http://pragati.nationalinterest.in/2014/10/the-diversionary-policies/) But the bigger problem is that both voters and political parties do not reward MPs for their parliamentary performance-- attendance rates and better debate participation. 3/n
(Here Rukmini S found that "MPs with higher attendance rates and better debate participation were slightly less likely to be voted back" https://www.thehindu.com/elections/parties-dont-reward-mps-for-performance/article5966992.ece). Most voters vote as if they are choosing representatives to get some work done in the constituency. 4/n
The ministers face pressure to favourably allot projects and funds to their local constituencies. If the local legislator is not a minister, he/she is expected to lobby with the ministers for benefits to the constituency. This is also widely understood and not even objected...5/n
... unless the favouritism is too blatant. This conflation of legislative and executive is unhealthy & should be avoided. But as long as this murkiness exist, it is not very unfair to suggest that voters who reside in the local constituency have a higher say ... 6/n
...in who gets elected. Those who have moved out have two options: to either get their voter cards transferred to their new place or to return back to vote in their constituency. In choosing either options, they are investing themselves in a constituency. 7/n
They are showing that they care. If a voter in Azamgarh has moved permanently to Bangalore, why should he/she expect to contribute to electing a candidate in Azamgarh at zero cost? Why should local residents of Azamgarh suffer because of the choice made by a person who...8/n
... has moved to Bangalore permanently? I am using a similar argument that @acorn used to argue why NRI voting should not be made too easy. (Here is the link to @acorn's piece: https://scroll.in/article/699128/nri-voting-should-not-be-made-too-easy) I haven't seen any data on who returns to vote in their... 9/n
...constituency and who doesn't. But I won't be surprised if someone tells me that a lot more rural and low income voters return to cast their votes compared to their urban and richer counterparts. The latter often don't care because of several reasons including... 10/n
...how the middle class has effectively seceded from the State. Allowing postal ballots or online voting would basically be subsidizing the lifestyles of this richer lot. The election commission does enough to offer enough number of booths to people to cast their votes. 11/n
The EC allows easy processes to make voter cards and to change one's voting constituency. I have no experience of the latter, but please let me know if this is not the case. If changing constituency is difficult, one can at best argue for an easier process to change it. 12/n
But unless the legislature-executive murkiness is ended, I don't see why postal ballots should be extended to everyone in India. 13/13
