The Freethought Party of India (FPI) has opposed the election of Ward Members, Sarpanches, Panchayat Samiti Members without party symbol and the Zilla Parishad election in party symbol. Rather, it called for election in the three-tier Panchayat elections in party symbol.
“A voter can take membership of a party whether he lives in an urban or rural area. But he cannot say so publicly if he is contesting the post of the Ward Member / Sarapanch / Panchayat Samiti Member. But if he is contesting for the post of a Zilla Parishad Member then he can take the name of his party. This hypocrisy should go,” said a FPI release.
Besides, the FPI raised objection to the poll expense limits set by the State Election Commission (SEC). Permission to spend Rs 80,000 for a Sarpanch and Rs 2 lakh for the post of a member of Zilla Parishad is a huge amount. It indirectly puts a premium on rich people to stand as candidates, besides promoting corruption, it said.
The FPI also opposed indirect election of Naib-Sarpach, Chairman and Vice -Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti and Chairman and Vice-Chairman of ZP. Both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the ZP should be directly elected on party symbols, it said.