Sir, even if he gets 36 per cent but does not get the highest number of votes in the general election he should not be declared elected. As it is, if X gets 36 per cent of the votes of the community and Y gets only 35 per cent., if the former does not get the majority of votes of the other communities at the election he is declared to be defeated and the latter though he gets only lesser number of votes of his own community, is declared elected; if he gets more votes than, X at the general elections, been declared elected. After all the election is completely in the hands of the general constituency or community. According to the Poona Pact you have allowed four candidates tot elected at the primary elections. This means that a man who gets 25 per cent of the votes is declared elected to the panel where you have allowed cumulative voting. That is almost separate electorate I do not want separate electorates. I know the evils of separate electorates. I am for joint electorates. But, while seeing that joint electorates are there, let us not put the Harijan representatives in disfavor with their community who, as it is, call them show-boys of the general community. If a provision of the kind I am advocating is adopted, we can face the people of our community and tell them “Look here, we have been elected also by a majority of 35 per cent of the members of our own community. We are not show-boys”. By my amendment I am only seeking to reduce the panel from four to two and providing for the election of the person who gets the majority of votes of the general community. I would request Members to think over it without prejudice.
