SC gives Centre 4 weeks to respond to PIL seeking compulsory voting

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 23

The Supreme Court on Monday gave four weeks to the Centre to file its response to a PIL seeking compulsory voting across India in all elections.

A bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar gave the time to the Centre after government counsel Kiran Suri said the government would like to file its reply in the matter.

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The Election Commission has already filed its reply. It has said that the commission was already doing its best to spread awareness among voters. But it has left it to the court to decide if there should be compulsory voting.

Petitioner’s counsel Vipul Maheshwari told the court that out of 90 crore voters only 66 per cent exercised their franchise and a government is formed only on the basis of votes of the 31 per cent of those voting.

He said it meant only 20 per cent of the electorate managed to install a government which is not a fair representation of the people in the largest democracy in the world.

The court is likely to take up the petition again after a month.