Chief election commissioner (CEC) S Y Qureshi has vetoed the idea of compulsory voting in India. "Democracy and compulsion don't go together," he told journalists while releasing consultation papers on electoral reforms here on Thursday.

CEC opined that the idea was neither desirable nor feasible and a better alternative was to educate the electorate. Law minister M Veerappa Moily who was also present on the occasion  had on earlier occassions said that a standalone law to make voting compulsory would not serve the purpose.

The government too has been showing its inability in implementing the idea on the basis of the observation that people cannot be forced to vote till they have a choice to elect candidates with a clean image.

The Dinesh Goswami Committee formed in the 1990s which had delved into the subject of compulsory voting had also recommended against it as it found it to be impractical amid the circumstances in India. There has also been a debate over the Gujarat compulsory voting bill which the election commission has dubbed “impractical” saying the election body doesn't have the wherewithal to enforce compulsory voting. The consultation paper on electoral reforms has delved into criminalisation of politics, financing of elections, regulating political parties and auditing their finances and adjudication of election disputes and review of anti-defection law among other things.

The paper also states that on grounds of corruption, there could be an amendment in the law to provide for filing election petitions even against defeated candidates. A review of the composition of the state legislative councils has also been indicated for accommodating representation of other professionals apart from teachers and graduates who till now have been enjoying special representation. The paper calls this provision discriminatory vis-à-vis other professionals like advocates, doctors, engineers, agriculturists etc.

Law minister Moily said there have been very small efforts scattered in slow stages towards electoral reforms in India. He admitted that there were tangible differences among the political parties on the issue of electoral reforms. He said a consensus on the issue could be reached only by ensuring strong public opinion. The minister also informed that a bill providing for comprehensive overhauling of the electoral process could be brought within the next five months.

Seven regional conferences on electoral reforms starting with Bhopal on December 12 are to be organized by the law ministry. Kolkata, Bangalore, Guwahati, Mumbai, Lucknow and Chandigarh will host the rest six conferences. These regional conferences will culminate in a national consultation conference to be held in New Delhi from April 2-3, 2011.

A core committee of nine eminent lawyers and other experts has been set up to act as a nodal agency for comprehensive electoral reforms with additional solicitor general Vivek Tankha serving as the committee chairman.