Reforming Political Finance: A Call for Transparency in India's Democracy

India's electoral system is burdened by money's influence, with a report urging comprehensive laws for political party regulation, stricter financial disclosures, and empowering the Election Commission. Key recommendations include banning cash donations, enforcing limits on private donations, and introducing public funding models to ensure transparency and accountability.

A new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms highlights substantial challenges facing India's electoral democracy due to the influence of money. It calls for comprehensive laws to regulate political parties and demands stricter norms for financial disclosures and stronger powers for the Election Commission.

The report identifies seven critical issues, including dominance of money in politics, lack of internal democracy within parties, and the inefficiency of the Election Commission in holding parties accountable. It suggests enacting laws that ensure financial transparency, leadership accountability, and bring political parties under the Right to Information Act.

To curb monetary influence, recommendations include imposing limits on private donations, banning cash contributions, and ensuring independent audits of party finances. The report advocates for public funding of elections and stresses the need for enforcement of campaign expenditure limits and empowering the Election Commission to act against financial misconduct.