Ralegan Siddhi: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has called for large-scale electoral reforms in the country to remove poll-related malpractices and to cleanse the system. The 81-year-old activist lamented that lack of awareness among voters and focus of political parties on winning the elections by hook or crook has led to the degeneration of politics, and he saw no bright future for the country if the situation continued.

Talking to PTI at his native village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, Hazare said voters were one of the pillars of the democracy. "But looking at the reports of cash seizure from various places during the electioneering, one wonders why voters take money to vote. Is this the value of our freedom fighters, who gave us independence?" he asked.