NOTA, Mr. L.K.Advani and compulsory voting

A Letter to the Editor

NOTA and compulsory voting

Sir,

         In seeking to relate NOTA to compulsory voting as a “meaningful” requirement, Mr. Advani’s blog has completely missed its meaning. By allowing the right to reject, the Supreme Court has actually enlarged the choice of the voter. Mr. Advani wants to restrict it, ignoring the fact that democracy is all about voluntariness in political choices. Right to vote is an inalienable right vested in the voter, which includes also the right not to vote. Making it mandatory would give the establishment an opportunity to coerce the voters and punish the defaulters.

         That Mr. Advani has endorsed Mr. Modi’s idea is not surprising, for, both are products of an organization that upholds discipline, regimentation and uniformity in matter even of culture as virtues. There could be one more reason. The inspiration for launching the BJP in 1980 was the hope that the Hindus, being the majority community, would put the Party in power in perpetuity. Mr. Advani, perhaps, hopes now that at least when driven into the polling booths, a sufficiently large number of Hindus might always choose the ‘Hindutva’ party.