VITIATING ROLE OF MONEY IN ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY AND SUPREME COURT'S ENDEAVOUR OF ITS PURIFICATION.

To realise the preambular ideal of true democracy, free and fair elections devoid of any bullying influence of money in electoral politics is inevitable. Money power vitiates the electoral system and has an ailing effect on quality of democracy due to infusion of unaccounted black money which finally terminates into policy favours to mysterious contributors. Besides it, bidding of party tickets, purchasing of votes, cleansing criminal taints from campaigning etc. leads to rigging of electoral arena of level playing field as higher the resources at disposal, higher will be the winnabilty ratio. Though the RPA, 1951 through its ceiling and disclosure provisions strives to curb this menace but more often flouted and bypassed. Supreme Court being conscious of these escapes routes endeavours to plug theses loopholes through its revolutionary pronouncement of mandatory disclosure of assets by the contesting candidates, widening the ambit of ceiling on election expanses done by a candidate, strengthening the Election Commission to observe strict compliance of financial disclosures of candidates etc. Despite these efforts, vulgar display of money in electioneering is kept unabated which needs to be checked by adopting a stern attitude and coordinated efforts of Supreme Court and Election Commission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]