People-centric Democracy and Accountability of Political Parties in India

Abstract

The bulwark of most constitutional democracy rests in an informed citizenry, which can effectively partake in the governance of the State by exercising its right to vote. The formulation of this informed group of citizens, in turn, requires transparency in the working of the public bodies and the making of administrative and policy decisions as it can enable them to make informed choices. In India, the focus on transparency in the working of government offices or ‘public authorities’ was given a fresh thrust with the enactment of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Despite containing a wide definition of ‘public authority’ to include several institutions within its ambit, the scope of this Act fails to include all such institutions or entities which have a considerable impact on the governance of the country. This article examines the role of transparency in a constitutional democracy and its relations with accountability. It then analyses the part played by political parties in the constitutional set-up of India to scrutinise the importance of its role in matters which affect the public at large. Using the importance of the role played by the political parties, the article examines the reasons as to why they should be brought under the ambit of the Right to Information Act. Through this analysis, the article highlights the need for adding the test of ‘public function’ in the Act, in order to expand the scope of ‘public authority’.