It is rare in a democracy as complex as India’s for a candidate to be declared elected unopposed in parliamentary or assembly elections. But right from the first general election in 1951, there have been a few cases of candidates being elected unopposed. The Election Commission of India, in its handbook for returning officers, has important details about “unopposed returns”. But the moot question is why it is happening?  In rarest of rare cases, the popularity of a particular candidate makes him the natural choice of the people of his constituency. But the trend of many returning unopposed can be considered as a case of strong arm tactics and corrupt practices. Many a time, opposing candidates were bought with money or other allurements against which there is no law. 

It is in this context that Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s statement assumes significance considering the fact that he himself was elected unopposed from his late father Dorjee Khandu’s Jang-Mukto constituency. Interestingly, Dorjee Khandu won elections from the same constituency unopposed thrice (1990, 2004 and 2009).  Speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) meeting in Itanagar on Tuesday, Khandu said that he is against the trend of candidates being elected unopposed in parliamentary or assembly elections asserting that such culture is against the democratic spirit. 

This candid admission coming from a young chief minister has to be taken seriously by all stake-holders. Referring to previous 2014 elections when 11 MLA candidates from Arunachal were elected unopposed, the Chief Minister said that such trend must stop and called for elections instead of direct nominations in every constituency with full democratic process. And without any chivalry, he also pointed to the fact of foul play in getting elected unopposed. This may be for the first time that a political leader, forget about chief minister, has come out against this practice. 

 

The Election Commission should take note of this and before declaring a candidate elected unopposed it should go into the details of how he or she is getting elected unopposed. That will be a great service to democracy.