New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the Centre and Election Commission of India (ECI) to take apposite steps for compulsory voting in the Parliament and State Assembly elections and said casting a vote is a matter of choice and the judiciary cannot pass such directions.
The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Friday also said, "casting vote is their (eligible citizen of India for voting) right, their choice".
Noting the court's observation, the petitioner decided to withdraw the petition.
The Petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a practising Advocate and BJP leader had also sought direction from the Law Commission to prepare a report on Compulsory Voting.
Plea stated that low voter turnout is a persistent problem in India. Compulsory voting can help to increase voter turnout, particularly among marginalized communities. It ensures that every citizen has a voice and that the government is representative of the people's wishes. When voter turnout is high, the government is more accountable to the people and is more likely to act in their best interests.
Compulsory voting has been implemented successfully in countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil. These countries have seen significant increases in voter turnout and improvements in the quality of democracy, stated the plea. (with Agency inputs)
