Can this happen, Election Commission of India ??

Can we make some promises this election year ??

We all lament that after the elections the newly elected members simply vanish from the constituency for the next five years and are not responsible to theirs and their party's commitments. So, a few suggestions:-

1) Every successful Candidate should be asked by the Electoral Officer in charge of declaring him victorious to sign up on an affidavit that he or she shall visit the constituency in a given week slot within the year of his election to explain to the electorate what he has done and achieved for the constituency as per the promises made in his party's manifesto as well as his own promises made during the election.

2) This signed affidavit should be made mandatory to be presented to the Pro-temp Speaker of the Parliament before the new Member of Parliament is given his Oath in the House. No Candidate member should be allowed to become a 'proper member of Parliament' and take the oath unless he has submitted this document to the Speaker/Pro Temp Speaker. In absence of this document his/ her membership of the house should be declared null and void.

3) The new Member of Parliament must give his performance report in his Constituency every year and also every year thereafter for the next three years. Those of the constituents of the constituency who had voted in the elections should give their response in a referendum which can be carried out over the internet ( over the mobile phone/internet responses with the voter id card references which should show the respondent as having exercised his vote ). The response over the next three years from the date of the elections will give a fair idea to the nation at large about the performance of the Member as well as the democratic functioning of our Govt. The last two years are enough both for the electorate and the M.P. /M.L.A. to come to their own conclusions and take a call and act responsibly.

I agree that that the last suggested para will need lots of improvement and additions, but let us make a beginning. I think all the political parties should agree broadly on the above. The way to push this reform has to be with the Electoral officer starting off with the affidavit - straightaway. Let the Election Commission, the last bastion of a free and independent institutions left in the country take immediate steps before the 16th of May'14 is upon us. Am I asking for too much ??