Conference on 'Money Power in Politics' on January 9

Hyderabad: General secretary of Foundation for Democratic Reforms and leader of Lok Satta party Jayaprakash Narayan on Thursday said that changes should be brought in the system to reduce the influence of money in politics.

Addressing the media, along with Indian School of Business professor Aditya Dhar, he said that a conference would be held on 'Money Power in Politics' at Indian School of Business on January 9 and 10.

Jayaprakash said that the programme would be inaugurated by Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on January 9 and several eminent persons would speak on the subject.

The discussions would be held on how to provide financial resources to the political parties to run their activities.

He said that though an act has been brought to provide financial resources to the political parties, there were lots of flaws in its implementation.

Maintaining secrecy on political bonds would not serve the purpose, he said, adding that the expenditure really required for the party should be assessed and focus should be put on how to provide financial assistance in transparent manner to the parties.

The conference would also discuss the problems of parties' workers. He said that about 1,000 workers of each Assembly constituency of each party work throughout the year without any payment and they would indulge in practices like recommending transfers and others. Political parties could not run without them.

Political parties have been purchasing votes and this has been ruining the democracy. It is a fact that the party which do not spend money on purchasing the votes would lose. At the same time it is not sure that the party which buys the votes would win definitely.

He said that democracy in Britain has taken 800 years to reach the present status and it took nearly four hundred years to reform the political system in the United States of America.

Jayaprakash said that the political leaders would be convinced on bringing in the reforms.