Poll bonds
The corruption among the Opposition parties has almost lost its shock value, thanks to the persistent efforts by investigative agencies and the media in the past decade. In contrast, the ruling party has maintained a clean and corruption-free image almost throughout its tenure. This situation is likely to change with the arrival of the much-awaited “electoral bonds data”. As the top recipient of funds (Page 1, “Poll bonds: 22 firms donated over ₹100 cr., BJP got highest share”, March 15) and the inventor of this innovative ‘scheme’, the BJP cannot get away from its responsibility of offering a rational explanation for how and why it got so much. The media must be unbiased so that voters can make an informed choice.
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
The good aspect is that the bonds are through a proper banking channel and accounted for. The BJP has been the ruling party not only in the Centre but also in several States for the past 10 years. So, there is nothing unusual in the party getting the lion’s share of the bonds redeemed. It is very intriguing to note that regional political parties in power in only one State have also received substantial donations.
It is quite interesting to note that none of the prominent corporates in the country is involved.
S. Parthasarathy,
Chennai
The data released by the Election Commission of India, though incomplete, make for some startling revelations, as discovered by data miners. Some of the top 30 donors had been under investigation in the past. Is there any nexus between these probes and the donations made?
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
Simultaneous polls report
The official report on ‘one nation one poll’ has not surprised many. It ties in with the line of the ruling party, the BJP, in declaring that simultaneous polls are ‘good for the health of democracy’. The cause of uninterrupted governance and less expensive polls are said to be the central themes in support of this idea. But these are not convincing. States and local governance would lose more with such a system. The election process needs to be pried free from money power. Maladies in electoral practices cannot be wished away by piece-meal reforms. They need to be addressed comprehensively.
Dr. D.V.G. Sankara Rao,
Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh
