Page 102 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

Several recommenda ons of the Dinesh Goswami previous government had created on October 7, 1989
Commi ee later became reality. These included: under Ar cle 324 (2) of the Cons tu on of India. Thus
S.S. Dhanoa and V.S. Seigell who were appointed to those
a) making the Elec on Commission of India a three
member body, posts on October 16, 1989 lost incumbency following a
Presiden al no fica on dated January 1, 1990. The
b) issue of mul purpose photo iden ty cards to every
Commission, therefore, reverted to be one-member
voter on me bound basis,
Cons tu onal body.
c) rollout of the Electronic Vo ng Machine, pending
On December 12, 1990 T.N. Seshan, who had earlier been
formal clearance by technical expert commi ee,
the Cabinet Secretary, was appointed as the Chief
d) statutory status for the Elec on Observers etc. Elec on Commissioner of India. His appointment is
perceived as an important development in the annals of
On making the Elec on Commission a three-member
the Indian elec ons. He asserted the authority and
body, the Commi ee further proposed that the
autonomy of the Elec on Commission; rigorously
appointments should be done by the President of India in
implemented the Model Code of Conduct; spoke against
consulta on with the Chief Jus ce of India and the Leader electoral malprac ces – and enhanced the pres ge of the
of Opposi on in the Lok Sabha.
Commission in public mind.
However, the incumbent government actually abolished The Tenth Lok Sabha Elec ons which began on May 20,
the two posts of Elec on Commissioners, which the 1991 were far from ideal. "They were marred by a number
of instances" – as corroborated by R Venkataraman, the
then President, in his memoirs My Presiden al Years
e Election Commission (Conditions of Service (1994) – "of violence, corrupt electoral prac ces,
of Election Commissioners and Transaction of in mida on, rigging and connivance of the polling
officers with these malprac ces". Former Prime Minister
Business) Act, 1991 enacted on January 25, 1991
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a terror a ack on May
elevated the Commission to its multi-member
21, 1991 that led to the postponement of two phases of
status besides laying down the service conditions of
elec ons. The President of India R. Venkataraman
the Election Commissioners. e actual
addressed the na on on the electoral violence and
appointments of the two Election Commissioners malprac ces on DD and All India Radio on June 8, 1991. In
under the Act, however, were made on October 1, the broadcast, he appealed to all poli cal par es to
1993. It restricted the term of an Election abjure malprac ces and violence.
Commissioner, including the Chief Election
The Tenth Lok Sabha Elec ons were challenging. As per
Commissioner, to six years in office or to attainment
informa on given in the Lok Sabha, 365 persons were
of 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. killed and 3625 wounded between April 19 and June 16,
1991 i.e. from date of no fica on to declara on of

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