Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
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Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

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		&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;Hindustan Times, 5 July, 2018, https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot; title=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;Hindustan Times, 5 July, 2018, https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&#039;,
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The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot; title=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,..."/>
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                <strong>Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Hindustan Times<br /><br /><em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br /></em><br />The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br /><br />The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br /><br />What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br /><br />How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br /><br />Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br /><br />First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br /><br />The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html" title="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br /><br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot; title=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;Hindustan Times, 5 July, 2018, https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,..."/>
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                <strong>Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Hindustan Times<br /><br /><em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br /></em><br />The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br /><br />The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br /><br />What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br /><br />How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br /><br />Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br /><br />First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br /><br />The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html" title="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br /><br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
		&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;Hindustan Times, 5 July, 2018, https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&#039;,
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The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot; title=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-Hindustan Times&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &amp;ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&amp;rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &amp;ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&amp;hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &amp;ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&amp;rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &amp;lsquo;political party&amp;rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&amp;rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot; title=&quot;https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,..."/>
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                <strong>Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-Hindustan Times<br /><br /><em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br /></em><br />The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br /><br />The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br /><br />What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br /><br />How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br /><br />Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br /><br />First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br /><br />The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html" title="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br /><br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-Hindustan Times<br />
<br />
<em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br />
</em><br />
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br />
<br />
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br />
<br />
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br />
<br />
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br />
<br />
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br />
<br />
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br />
<br />
<br />
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...',
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	'title' => 'Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar',
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-Hindustan Times<br />
<br />
<em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br />
</em><br />
The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br />
<br />
The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br />
<br />
What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br />
<br />
Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br />
<br />
First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br />
<br />
The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br />
<br />
<br />
</div>',
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-Hindustan Times

The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country

The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985,...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-Hindustan Times<br /><br /><em>The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country<br /></em><br />The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected.<br /><br />The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed.<br /><br />What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, &ldquo;It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.&rdquo; These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: &ldquo;It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy&hellip;A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.&rdquo;<br /><br />How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide.<br /><br />Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, &ldquo;Money makes the mare go.&rdquo; The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument.<br /><br />First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage.<br /><br />The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, &lsquo;political party&rsquo; means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party&rsquo;s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates.<br /><br />Please <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html" title="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-independents-fail-to-make-a-mark-in-elections/story-CGVDaOu9tHErZmqpv0lBtI.html">click here</a> to read more. <br /><br /><br /></div>'
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Why independents fail to make a mark in elections -Jagdeep Chhokar

-Hindustan Times The key to this problem lies in the way political and electoral financing are conducted in this country The stranglehold of political parties on the electoral and political system continues to increase with time. The anti-defection law, passed in 1985, formalised the control of political parties even on Parliament. Despite a large number of candidates on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the candidates with a realistic chance of getting elected are two or three, having got tickets from major political parties. Effectively, the choice of a voter is constrained by the choices made by a set of political parties. To sum up, this is what makes it almost impossible for independents to get elected. The first four elections to the Lok Sabha saw a reasonable number of independents getting elected: 37 in 1951; 42 in 1957; 28 in 1962; and 43 in 1967. After that it has gone down to single digits. Only five independent candidates were elected in 2004. The number went up to nine in 2009 but dropped again to a dismal three in 2014. The situation in the assemblies is not too different. During the last three assembly elections, as many as 23 of 29 states showed a declining trend in electing independent candidates. The trend in the remaining six is mixed. What will the elimination of independents and domination by candidates of political parties lead to? Is it good for democracy? The response to these questions is, “It can be good for democracy, provided certain conditions are met.” These conditions were specified by the Law Commission of India in 1999 in their 170th report: “It must be said that if democracy and accountability constitute the core of our constitutional system, the same concepts must also apply to and bind the political parties which are integral to parliamentary democracy…A political party which does not respect democratic principles in its internal working cannot be expected to respect those principles in the governance of the country. It cannot be dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside.” How many of our parties are democratic in their internal functioning is for the reader to decide. Why it is so difficult for independents to get elected? As the saying goes, “Money makes the mare go.” The key lies in political and electoral financing. There are two major strands to this argument. First, while there is a limit on expenditure that an individual candidate can incur on her/his election, there is none on the amount that a political party can. This obviously puts independent candidates, who had no party to bankroll their election, at a huge disadvantage. The second strand pertains to the collection of money and is two-pronged. First is tax exemption. The Income Tax Act 1961, and amended in 1978 with the addition of Section 13A, grants 100% exemption from income tax to political parties. It also clarifies that for the purposes of this section, ‘political party’ means a political party registered under the Representation of People Act. So, the tax exemption that a party’s candidate enjoys becomes indirectly unavailable to independent candidates. Please click here to read more.