Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgement that empowers a voter to reject all candidates in fray in a poll.
Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit said, “I welcome the Supreme Court judgement, it will help cleanse the electoral system.””
Senior BJP leader Balbir Punj said, “Those who have trust in the democracy will welcome the Supreme Court judgement. In a democracy the voter is the ultimate boss and any step that gives him powers and enhances his role in any manner should be welcomed.”
“Political parties field candidates with the brightest chance to win but if the voter feels that none of them deserves his vote, he will have an option to express his opinion,” he added.
Punj further said that the Election Commission should make changes in the rules. However, he was uncertain whether the right to reject all could be brought into force in the upcoming elections and expressed his desire to see that the new button on the EVMs is in place by the Lok Sabha elections next year.
Punj also said that he does not consider the SC’s ruling as a landmark judgment.
His party colleague Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “Most important is that the government should take steps to bring in electoral reforms...the Supreme Court verdict will have to read in its entirety as it has many complications.”
Aam Aadmi Party`s Arvind Kejriwal described it as a first historic step towards cleansing the Indian political system.
