BENGALURU: The Election Commission’s (EC) proposal to the Centre seeking a ban on anonymous contributions above Rs 2,000 to political parties, may have little or no impact.
Political experts and party leaders in Karnataka strongly believe the slashing of the limit won’t do any good but making every transaction transparent will certainly help the public reap more dividends. “All such moves would be mere cosmetic changes as human ingenuity will find ways to circumvent the challenge. One needs to strike at the root source and not the formal manifestation,” said Sandeep Shastri, political analyst.
Major political parties in Karnataka say they have no qualms about the EC’s proposal. “After demonetization, the public has begun questioning why political parties are being exempted from raids and income-tax when they need to set a precedent for the people. Such election reforms are the need of the hour to root out malpractice and corruption. Political parties should cooperate with the EC to ensure the public trust them,” said former legislative council chairman and KPCC vice-president BL Shankar.
