While returning today after casting our vote for Parliamentary elections, my aunt aged 62 years recalled how elections were done 30 years back. This created an interest in me to understand the changes that have happened in this country on conduct of elections. We are the largest democracy in the world with a total electorate of 83.40 crore voters. This makes Indian elections the largest of its kind in the world.
Elections in India are conducted by the Election Commission of India which is an autonomous entity prescribed in the Constitution of India. It is the federal authority responsible for administering all the electoral processes of India and ensuring they are free and fair. According to Article 324 of Indian Constitution, the Election Commission of India has superintendence, direction, and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and Legislature (state legislative assembly & state legislative council) of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President of India. The most critical challenge before the Election Commission of India is to implement norms and the Model Code of Conduct to ensure free and fair elections in the country. Its existence and independence are necessitated by history, which has revealed that self-governing elections are not free from disruption. Towards this end, it has been empowered to supervise political parties and candidates and take appropriate action in case of violations. Article 324 also has provisions like security of tenure of Election Commissioner (6 years or 65 years whichever is earlier), removal process as applicable to a Judge of the Supreme Court (Impeachment by Parliament) in order to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the Election Commission.
The effectiveness of any Institution is highly dependent upon the personalities at their helm. The same Institution may have very different attitudes if its chief is strong or weak, disinterested or preparing for his next post retirement office. Certainly, some institutions will be better equipped than others to resist pressure, but the character of its leader always plays a major role. The Election commission is a case in point because it is exposed to political pressure. But other institutions are in a similar situation, like the Reserve Bank of India or even the Supreme Court, as evident from the eras, respectively, of Raghuram Rajan and Justice Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, who initiated a phase of “judicial activism”. One such person to bring out a strong change in electoral politics is Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, fondly called TN Seshan
Election commission had always discharged its duties with care, but its measures became more stringent under TN Seshan’s leadership. Seshan was often criticized for his megalomaniac and autocratic tendencies. But even his virulent critic, recognized Seshan’s unprecedented efficiency in protecting the electoral process. His initiative of staggering election dates and additional deployment of forces reduced the incidences of booth capturing and violence near polling booths. This enabled all sections of the society to vote without fear. The press started fondly calling it “Seshan Effect”.
Seshan also came down heavily on politicians who violated moral code of conduct. Polling was suspended in a Madhya Pradesh constituency as a serving governor campaigned for his son, ultimately leading to his resignation. Above all, Seshan harried politicians by constraining them to limit their election expenditure. This policy was executed vigorously from April 1996, when the Supreme Court accordingly mandated the Election Commission, which then ordered political parties to submit accounts of their expenditure after the elections. While this newly introduced discipline cut back on the festive aspect of the elections, it also reduced the funding needs of parties, which was expected to impact the degree of corruption.TN Seshan’s popularity, especially in urban areas, stemmed from his efforts to bring an increasingly decried political class to heel. Nonetheless, a relative majority considered that he possessed too much power, a sign that a part of the public was aware of the risk that one man’s growing power could pose threat for democracy which holds good even today for any position
Conclusion.
To ensure more independence and fairness in working of Election Commission, it is important for the nation to bring an amendment to Constitution debarring the retiring election commissioners from any further appointments by the Government. The legacy of personalities like TN Seshan remain even after he has left his office. It is imperative for the country to have strong men and women perpetuating a sense of professionalism to fulfill the office’s mission.
References:-
The Great March of Democracy: Seven decades of India’s Elections.
Business Management 