Supreme Court ordered EC to bring Right to Reject(RTR)

Supreme Court (SC) today gave a landmark order to Election Commission (EC) to provide a ‘none of the above’ option in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to allow voters to reject all candidates contesting an election in a constituency.

The court upheld the argument of petitioner, the People's Union for Civil Liberties, an NGO, that a voter has the right to record disapproval of all candidates listed.
Election commission sources said this will be done starting with the next set of assembly elections this year.This means voters in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram - where Assembly elections are due in November - will have the right to reject option.


The apex court thinks this order will “lead to systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates.” The court also thinks this will ensure that people get “good governance”.

Bench that gave the order was headed by Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam.

 According to SC negative voting via RTR  would lead to systemic change in elections and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates.
Justice Sathasivam said, "Democracy is all about choices and voters will be empowered by this right of negative voting. Negative voting will send a clear signal to political parties and candidates as to what the voters think about them." 


DEBATE on the Matter
Right to Reject is still matter of intense debate as will be clear by following points.

• Election Commission had supported this stand. It had recommended that the government amend rules to include this, but that had not been done. 
•  Centre(Government) had opposed the proposal. It contended that an election is meant to elect and not to reject. It also argued that including a rejection button will confuse voters and will not serve any purpose.
• Activists have proposed that if more than 50 per cent of those who vote reject all candidates, there should be a re-election in that constituency.
• The BJP had asked for a detailed debate.
  The Left had sought clarity on what purpose it hoped to serve.
  The AAM ADMI PARTY SUPPORTS RIGHT TO REJECT
• Anna Hazare had campaigned extensively for poll reforms that would include both the right to reject and the right to recall an elected representative if the electorate is dissatisfied with his or her performance.

Source:http://www.ndtv.com/article/cheat-sheet/supreme-court-gives-voters-right-to-reject-all-candidates-in-a-poll-424424

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/randomaccess/entry/right-to-reject-sc-gives-voters-easy-and-effective-option

Rajasthan: Kejriwal party member wins first-ever Right to Recall referendum

December 15, 2012(date of happening)
The Rajasthan Municipalities Bill 2011 has made the Right to Recall Referendum mandatory for recalling elected representatives of municipalities who lose the no-confidence motion.The first ever Right to recall referendum was held in the Baran district(Raj) .
The referendum was to decide whether Ashok Jain (62), the chairman of the Mangrol municipality, should be retained or recalled from the post. Ashok Jain has won by a margin of 3,488 votes. 
Ashok Jain had joined AAP (Aam Admi Party) last month.
Polling was held on Thursday, with 10,998 votes being cast. Of the 16,735 voters in the municipality area, 65.71% voters exercised their franchise.Voters chose between the options of ‘empty chair’ and ‘chair with person sitting’ on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to either recall or retain, respectively, the Mangrol municipality chairman.
Jain hailed the Right to Recall referendum, saying, “It provides the right to the people for recalling their elected representatives, in case of nonperformance.”

Jain is currently recovering from a spinal injury after falling from a two-wheeler last month in New Delhi, where he had gone to join the Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal. He is bedridden at his house in Kota.

Jain had become the chairman of Mangrol municipality in direct elections as an independent candidate in November, 2009. He is the son of noted freedom fighter from Hadauti region, Seth Motilal Jain.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Rajasthan-Kejriwal-party-member-wins-first-ever-Right-to-Recall-referendum/Article1-973048.aspx

Lokpal Aftermath: 1.0 (Right to Reject)

 | Anna hazere to tour country to advocate Right to Reject before 2014 general assembly election  |

Anna today (24 Feb, 2012) revealed that he would undertake a nationwide tour before the 2014 General elections to advocate the voters' " right to reject" unwanted candidates.
"After the Jan Lokpal Bill, I will undertake a nationwide tour prior to 2014 General elections to plead for the 'right to reject' of voters," he told reporters at the city airport after his arrival from Delhi.
Hazare said the presence of "goondas" in politics posed a threat to the democratic process in the country.
"The voters should have the option of rejecting unwanted candidates while exercising their franchise and asking for a repoll," said the activist, who later left for his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/anna-hazare-to-tour-country-to-advocate-right-to-reject/articleshow/12019727.cms