| A survey by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) has found that a fifth of India’s electorate was paid cash for their votes during the past decade. The proportion of election bribery was almost 50 percent in Karnataka.
The study estimated that voters below the poverty line were most likely to be bribed – 73% in Karnataka against a national average of 37%. N. Bhaskar Rao, chairman of CMS, told the Mint newspaper: “The bribe money varies from state to state. It may be Rs100-150 (a voter) in some states and it can go up to Rs1,000 in some constituencies.” The incidence of vote buying was highest in Karnataka (47%), followed by Tamil Nadu (34%) and Madhya Pradesh (33%). It was lowest in Tripura and Himachal Pradesh. CASH FOR VOTES
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