Bidding for power

THE auctioning of the post of sarpanch in Gurdaspur’s Hardowal Kalan village is a blatant violation of democratic principles, turning a public election into a financial transaction. A bid of Rs 2 crore for the position undermines the democratic process, where leadership should be determined by merit and the will of the people, not by wealth. This disturbing practice is not isolated. Auctions have also been reported in Muktsar, where bids for the post of sarpanch reached Rs 35.5 lakh, and candidates pledged to fund village development from their pockets.

While these pledges may seem noble, they represent a dangerous trend in which governance is bought, reducing public office to a commodity. The auctioning of leadership posts violates the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which mandates free and fair elections for panchayat representatives, and the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, which explicitly requires voting, not financial bidding.

Atma Singh, the highest bidder in Gurdaspur, defended the auction as transparent compared to bribing politicians. This reflects a deeper disillusionment with a system that has failed to deliver development in many rural areas. However, selling public offices is no solution — it only exacerbates the problem by opening the door to corruption and the misuse of power by those seeking to recoup their ‘investment’. Such auctions have been condemned across the political spectrum, with leaders like Partap Singh Bajwa and Harpal Singh Cheema calling for a probe, labelling this practice a ‘murder of democracy’. Similar calls have been made in Muktsar, where videos of auctions have gone viral, sparking public outrage. These auctions, if left unchecked, will erode the very foundation of democracy. Legal action is urgently needed to uphold the rule of law and to stop such practices from taking root in Punjab’s governance system.