Broad guidelines for political reforms:
(i) As legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy, democratic reforms need to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties movements and politically conscious citizens.
(ii) Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Generally laws that seek to ban something are rather counter productive. For example, many states have debarred people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections. This has resulted in denial or democratic opportunity to many poor and women, which was not intended. The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms. For example, the Right to Information Act which acts as a watchdog of democracy by controlling corruption.
(iii) Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political parties. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.
(iv) Any proposal for political reforms should consider not only what is a good solution, but also about who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens' organizations and media are likely to succeed.