From the introduction of The Largest Democracy by Suneel Goel (Suggested Reading, Party Politics, Paper II – Elections)
Among all the tested and untested political systems, democracy is the
most profitable one for India. Democracy calls a large number of parties into
existence and automatically sets a common and simple goal for each– to win
elections.
These political parties employ a great number of functionaries in order
to achieve the electoral goal and as a collateral also provide livelihood and meaning
of life to many.
These functionaries are paid by party funds which are generated by
donations, corruptions and extortions, among others. However, none of these can
be effective while the said party is not in power.
And since there are multiple
parties, it is of existential importance that every party gets to spend some
time in the government. Or else, millions of party functionaries and their
various dependents will starve.
The mechanism that guarantees that each party goes through such rotational
earning phases is called an election. Elections see to it that every party can
feed its cadres, even if intermittently.
This particular function of the electoral system indicates that election
is the largest financial process in modern India and the Election Commission
the most important financial establishment.
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