The landmark judgement from the apex court would force political parties to find better candidates and also pay attention to middle-class concerns about growth, development and infrastructure, instead of focusing only on narrow vote banks and money-muscle power of its candidate

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Friday said, voters have a right to reject all candidates contesting an election. This negative voting would now make all political parties to select good candidates unlike the current practice to decide candidature based on the money and muscle power of the candidate.

While delivering the significant verdict, the apex court said, negative voting would lead to systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidate as well as foster purity and vibrancy in elections. "If right to vote is statutory right, right to reject candidate is fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution," the SC said.

Elections are an expensive and nerve-racking business for political parties and the cost of a re-election and finding worthy candidates will be very high. The right-to-reject button alone will create plenty of pressure in entrenched political parties to find better candidates and also pay attention to middle-class concerns about growth, development and infrastructure, instead of focusing only on narrow vote banks. Even a 25% improvement in the choice of candidates will lead to a significant incremental transformation in India. 

Last year, while speaking at a seminar titled “Democracy at Crossroads—Need for Electoral Reforms”, organised by Moneylife Foundation and V Citizens Action Network (VCAN), Dr SY Quraishi, former chief election commissioner had said, “What people don’t understand is the lower the turn-out, the easier it is for the criminals and dishonest candidates to win.”

With the Supreme Court decision, people who desist from voting because of not finding right candidate, would come forward and participate in the election process.

In January 2012, some like minded activists, including Vallabh C had stated a petition on Change.org for requesting the Election Commission to fully restore secrecy of voting and introduce a button on electronic voting machines (EVMs) for 'not voting'.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that the returning officer can reject nomination papers of a candidate for non-disclosure and suppression of information, including that of assets and their criminal background.

The apex court said voters have a fundamental right to know about their candidates and leaving columns blank in the nomination paper amounts to violation of their right. The Election Commission (EC) had supported the plea filed by Resurgence India, a civil rights group, that no column should be allowed to be left blank which tantamount to concealing information and not filing complete affidavit.