Elections are the holiest festivals in a democracy where the people exercise their right to choose their leaders. A democracy functions only on the faith that the elections are free and fair and not manipulated or rigged , but elections in modern India are diseased by criminalization of politics ,money and muscle power, misuse of government machinery, casteism and communalism , non-serious candidates and absence of moral values in politicians which has led to the introduction of electoral reforms to protect the sanctity of elections.

The supervision of elections comes under the purview of election commission which has introduced many reforms in elections , these reforms can be categorised into pre-2000 and post-2000 reforms.

Pre-2000 reforms included improvements such as installation of Electronic Voting machines(EVMs), proper supervision of the staff engaged in preparation, revision and correction of electoral polls, disqualification on conviction , fresh elections in case of booth capturing , whereas post-2000 elections saw reforms such as introduction of appellate authority ,ceiling on election expenditure ,disclosure of contribution above 20,000 to political parties etc.

Bringing political parties under RTI, promoting proper transparency within the political parties , reducing nepotism , providing reservation to women and more qualified candidates , right to recall and simultaneous holding of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections would increase in the creditability of our electoral system.

It is high time that we rise above our caste and religion and bring serious candidates to power so that our nation can achieve inclusive and sustainable development