During recent years, serious flaws have appeared in electoral laws and processes. There is practically no law governing political parties and ensuring maintenance of proper accounts, inner party democracy etc. The anti-defection law has been a dismal failure. The fearfully high costs of elections and the role of 3 M.Ps money power, muscle power and mafia power and of 4 Cs communalism, casteism, criminalization, and corruption have polluted the functioning of our political parties and electoral processes. There are malpractices like rigging, booth capturing, manipulating electoral rolls, impersonation and bogus voting. With nearly 70 per cent of all legislators elected by a minority of votes cast, their representational legitimacy becomes doubtful. Of all the reforms needed for a resurgent India, electoral reforms are the most imperative. While these have been talked about for 50 years, with the latest Supreme Court verdict and the Election Commission order making it necessary for candidates to give information about educational qualifications, assets and liabilities and criminal background, there is emergence of renewed interest in the subject. The proposals that emerge from the present study are positive and concrete. All the relevant issues have been most competently handled by some of the most outstanding scholars, professors, jurists, public-men and concerned citizens. The problems have been identified, pertinent questions raised, different reform options analysed and the most feasible agenda for action suggested with a view to bringing about the most needed national resurgence through electoral reforms.
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