Voters Being Reduced to Tradable Merchandise: Meghalaya Governor

By Manosh Das

Shillong, Feb 2 : Lashing out at vote bank politics and the use of muscle and money power in elections, Meghalaya governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary has said voters in the world’s largest democracy were being reduced to ‘‘tradable merchandise’’.

‘‘It is becoming difficult for common people to stay immune to the psychological and physical pressure tactics during elections, which turn them into tradable merchandise,’’ Mooshahary told presiding officers of legislative assemblies of the northeastern states on the concluding day of the 12th North-East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) Conference in Shillong over the weekend.

He said criminalization and communalization of electoral practice were the two biggest threats to India’s democracy. The former chief of the NSG and BSF said, ‘‘Criminalisation is not merely about criminals contesting elections but also about political parties resorting to criminal methods to win polls. This includes using money and muscle power, threat, intimidation to sway voters.’’