Ever thought how much does your vote value? The question is: Does it really have any value? When it comes to our county, India, never forget that Democracy doesn’t come cheap. Let me tell you something really interesting – Every five years, the value of your vote is multiplying!
In our nation, every single vote has its worth both for political needs and as an expense. Nothing comes for free and for every single vote during elections, the government has to bear an expense.
What is the expense made on elections by the Government?
The year 1957 witnessed the cheapest parliamentary elections organized so far in India, which was worth over ₹10 crores. In contrast, the 2014’s election was the most expensive one with a worth of three-fourths of the total cost incurred on all the previous general elections.
The expenditure includes the cost of setting up polling stations, payment to polling personnel and counting staff, installation of temporary telephone facilities at polling and counting centres, purchase of election material such as indelible ink and ammonia paper.
What is the cost per vote?
There has been a huge increase in the cost per voter since the first Lok Sabha polls. It all started off with less than a rupee in the first six general elections whereas today it was close to ₹50 in the 2014 polls, which was a nearly three-fold jump in the average cost incurred on each voter.
Comparatively, the voter base of our country has increased by five times than what it was in the first general elections when fewer people than UP’s current population of over 20 crores were eligible to exercise their franchise. This year 900 million are eligible, more than the combined population of the US, Brazil, and Indonesia, the world’s third-, fourth- and fifth- most populous countries.
India is the world’s largest democracy, and we certainly need to understand the value of every single vote cast and ensure that we make justice to the rights enjoyed by us.
