Why Candidate Selection is not Truly Democratic
~A research project by Governance Innovation Labs
Candidate selection in democratic systems, while aiming to reflect popular will, often faces significant challenges that undermine its democratic ideals.
- Centralized candidate selection:
Indian political parties have centralized organizations that decide on the selection of candidates . This process generally ignores the opinions of party members at all levels, particularly the grassroots, in voting or providing input for shortlisted candidates. Since the political parties often control the nomination process, the general public has little say on the candidates that are presented for election. This lack of consideration of public opinion in choosing the candidate can lead to candidates being chosen based on party loyalty or internal politics rather than merit.
In the article by Magesan, Szabo, and Ujhelyi, they have highlighted that although both the INC and the BJP have formal consultation procedures that involve local party organizations in the candidate selection process, in practice decisions are ultimately made by the central committee of each party.
- Political Dynasties:
There is an existing trend of family members entering politics based on their relatives’ political influence or as a legacy in the family. Family successors in politics can only be successful if they are deserving of the position rather than a right coming with their family name. If the candidate lacks proper political and social work experience, this can lead to a lack of fresh perspectives and concentrate the power within a small, elite group.
According to Bhat, in a democratic country like India, political dynasties are very prominent and deeply rooted. This impacts democracy as this creates an unequal playing field in favor of the dynasts. This discourages new, potentially more meritorious candidates from entering politics. Persistent rule by a particular family can reduce accountability and perpetuate elitism.
In Indian politics, the Nehru-Gandhi family of Congress has been a prominent political family legacy. However, political families, whether national or state, are present in almost all political parties.
- Influence of Wealthy Individuals:
Many of India’s richest individuals have political backgrounds or significant political influence. The close relationship between business and politics in India often means that business interests can overshadow public interest in candidate selection. Wealthy businessmen with political connections use their influence to secure nominations and political positions, prioritizing their business interests over democratic ideals. This includes prominent figures like Nakul Nath, Abhishek Singhvi, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, who possess substantial wealth and resources. Their financial power can heavily influence candidate selection, making it challenging for ordinary citizens without such resources to compete fairly.
The Conversation has highlighted how the presence of billionaires in politics has deteriorated the state of the nation. Various crises like unemployment of youth, lack of basic infrastructure, decline of industry, have shown that just because the candidates are “business friendly” doesn’t necessarily mean that “development” is taking place.
- Lack of Real-Time performance Feedback:
There is absence of any structured system for regular feedback on the performance of elected officials that reaches them so they can implement the required changes. Voters typically are heard during campaigns just before elections which is much inconvenient. Politicians should be held accountable for their actions throughout their tenure. There should be a website for feedback of not only each minister and local politicians, but also the policies they are implementing.
In a study by Brito, they studied the correlation between the performances of politicians on social media for more than 65000 posts over 300 days before elections, and electoral results. The results demonstrated strong correlations between the engagement per post and the votes received. So, an organized platform can not only help voters make informed decisions but even parties can claim transparency with voters.
In 2014 BJP had launched a website www.jansamvad2014.in to get feedback from the people. But now the website is no longer accessible.
- Inadequate Formal Training:
In many occupations it is required to undergo a training period before handling the job, and for a politician who plays such a crucial role as a public representative, it should be an utter necessity. Political decisions affect the society, economy and international relations which in turn affect a lot of individuals. So, an individual should be expert and competent in this field. The Election Commission must conduct training programs for the candidates involved in the election procedure. There is a need for comprehensive resources and training equipment for individuals interested in entering politics. Mentorship programs, where newcomers are guided by mentors and successful politicians, could help them bridge the gap.
- Need for a Political Toolkit:
There is a growing need and recognition for a comprehensive toolkit to guide the political candidates and which includes training in leadership, ethics, governance, and public engagement. The Election Commission of India needs to take up the crucial role and provide an authorized toolkit providing all the necessary resources and guidelines. The toolkit can contain various components such as:
- Leadership Training: Enhancing decision making skills, conflict resolution and public speaking
- Guidelines: How to pitch to political parties that the candidates relate with and gain their support.
- Ethics and Governance: Maintenance of transparency and accountability
- Public Engagement: Learning to involve the public and interacting with media
- Policy and Administration: Training in policy analysis and public administration
- Voter Awareness: To inform the voters about their rights.
- Some of the toolkits that are available online are by International IDEA, RNAO, and LGA.
REFERENCES:
https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2023/08/the-need-of-political-training-for-leaders/
https://thediplomat.com/2024/05/how-big-money-finances-indian-politics/
