Only 3.47% winning candidates got more than 50% of votes: CEC

New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) Only 3.47 per cent of winning candidates in Uttar Pradesh during the recently concluded Assembly elections polled more than half the votes cast while an overwhelming 96.53 per cent MLAs got elected with less than 50 per cent votes, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said today.

Interacting with members of the Indian Women Press Corps, Mr Gopalaswami said the figures were especially dismal in view of the fact that the polling percentage was just 45 per cent in the state.

The situation was similar in states like Jharkhand where 93.84 per cent candidates polled less than 50 per cent votes, Bihar (88.89 per cent), Tamil Nadu (81.63 per cent) and Assam (86.55 per cent).

However, in states like Kerala, the situation was better as 61.43 per cent of the successful candidates had got more than 50 per cent votes in the state. In West Bengal 48.96 per cent winning candidates had polled more than half the votes polled while in Puducherry, 58.67 per cent candidates achieved the success.

Advocating that successful candidates must poll 51 per cent of the votes polled, Mr Gopalaswami said though initially it may require two rounds of polling to weed out candidates with lesser popular support. However, ultimately, it would force the political parties to field candidates with wider acceptability across the board instead of the present system of representing a particular section.

Asked whether voting be made compulsory to ensure that the peoples representatives have wider support base, Mr Gopalaswami said, ''it is desirable, but not enforceable.'' Pointing out that 28 countries across the globe have compulsory voting, he said only three have enforced it. ''In our country with so many laws already existing having another law, which was not enforced, would not help the situation.'' Regarding developing a two-party system to broaden the support base of the elected candidates as suggested by President A P J Abdul Kalam, the CEC said, ''I don't foresee in the near future. It will be difficult to enforce the two-party system in the country.'' About the Presidential polls, Mr Gopalaswami said dates would be announced ''anyday.'' Though refusing to give any particular date for the Presidential polls, he said the new incumbent would be in office by July 25 and the polling process completed about a week before.

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