Dr JP calls for consensus on electoral reforms

The Lok Satta Party on Tuesday welcomed the newly elected CPI General Secretary Survaram Sudhakar Reddy’s support for replacement of the first-past-the-post electoral system by a proportional representation (PR) system.

In a statement, Lok Satta Party President Dr Jayaprakash Narayan said that the first-past-the-post system has led to vote buying and the rise of money power to garner the marginal vote for capturing as many seats as possible. It has resulted in unbridled corruption and generation of black money on a large scale.

“In such a system, the best and the brightest can no longer play a creative role through ethical politics and principles. Politics without principles and ethics has created a grave political crisis across India.

“It is time that all political parties introspected and arrived at a consensus for changing the electoral system”, Dr JP said.