BJP forms election reforms committee

Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari announced the formation of a election reforms committee of the party which will focus on issues like EVMs, criminalisation of politics and other concerns.

Party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will be the convenor of the committee. "The election reforms committee of BJP will look into all issues regarding electoral reforms. These will be conveyed to the government and the Election Commission," Naqvi told PTI.

He said the committee will prepare reports on important electoral issues and submit them to the government and the EC.

"The committee will work mainly under the guidance of senior party leader L K Advani," Naqvi said.

Members of the committee include party general secretary Thawar Chand Gehlot, secretary

Kirit Somaiya, former BJP Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Satyapal Jain, Bhanwari Lal Purohit, G V L Narasimha Rao and Ramakrishna.

Other major issues which the committee would work on include the socio-geographic-political changes in the profile of constituencies after delimitation, increasing use of money and muscle power, state funding of elections and increasing the deposit money of candidates to discourage non-serious contestants.

"The committee will also travel to states and get feedback from the people," Naqvi said. A special area of attention will be the Women's Reservation Bill, which BJP supported and helped pass in Rajya Sabha. The party will try to build further support for the proposed legislation in the Lok Sabha.
 
With PTI inputs