'We are not lawmakers': Delhi HC on PIL for compulsory voting in elections

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking direction to the Centre and the Election Commission to make voting compulsory in parliament and assembly polls, saying it cannot force a person to vote.

"We are not lawmakers. We cannot pass such directions. Is there any provision in the Constitution that makes voting compulsory?” a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said.

The court warned the petitioner, advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, it would dismiss the petition with costs after which he withdrew it.

Upadhyay had filed the public interest litigation, saying compulsory voting will ensure every citizen has a voice, will improve the quality of democracy and secure the right to vote. The plea said low voter turnout is a persistent problem and compulsory voting can help increase the turnout, particularly among marginalised communities.