New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission to decide on the representation made in a petition seeking directions to formulate and notify a model procedure for elections with respect to intra-party elections, as soon as practically possible.
Aggrieved by the feudal and oligarchic nature of functioning of most political parties, petitioner C. Rajashekaran, through the counsel advocates Abhimanyu Tewari and Rakesh Talukdar, moved the court asserting that there is an ineffective democratic processes within the political parties and the lack of adequate regulatory oversight of internal elections by the Election Commission.
"It is submitted that although most political parties provide for elections through the provisions, said elections are often an eyewash for established political families within the said parties to continue to retain power as the top leadership of said parties," the petition read.
The petitioner said that the eyewash is done through various means, including stacking the electoral college with supporters of said family members, unbridled power to top executives within such parties which effectively leads to collapse of democratic norms and practices.
"The lack of internal democracy in political parties, as opposed to private organisations or institutions, has a significant bearing on the nation's governance, as the lack of transparency and internal democracy in political parties are often reflected in similar non-democratic governance models when said political parties come to power".
The petitioner sought for a direction to the EC to frame and notify a Model Election Procedure for political parties, and further direct all political parties registered with it to mandatorily integrate the said model election procedure in their respective Constitutions.
Rajashekaran further prayed for issuance of directions to the EC to appoint external observers to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Elections, and ensure transparent and fair internal elections to political parties.