Page 110 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2
P. 110

Leap of Faith      Journey of Indian Elections





                                                                               Dr. Gill oversaw the Twel h and Thirteenth Lok Sabha
                                                                               Elec ons, which occurred in close succession in 1998 and
                                                                               1999. This period witnessed the return of the Electronic
                                                                               Vo ng Machine (EVM) into ac on a er almost a decade
                                                                               and half. On November 26, 1998 EVMs were used in 16
                                                                               select cons tuencies in legisla ve assembly elec ons in
                                                                               Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and NCT of Delhi.
                                                                                      th
                                                                               The 12  Lok Sabha was the shortest in India's history,
                                                                               las ng for a mere 399 days between March 10, 1998 and
                                                                               April  26,  1999.  The  incumbent  government  resigned
                                                                               a er losing the vote of confidence on April 17, 1999. A
                                                                                                                   th
                                                                               Presiden al proclama on dissolved the 12  Lok Sabha on
                                                                               April  26,  1999  because  no  viable  alterna ve  could
                                                                               emerge.  It  thus  became  impera ve  for  the  Elec on
                                                                               Commission to conduct the Thirteenth General Elec ons
                                                                               in  me so that a new Lok Sabha could be recons tuted on
                                                                               or before October 21, 1999 in order to comply with the
                                                                               Ar cle 85 of the Cons tu on.

                                                                               For  the  first  time  in  its  50-year  history,  the  Election
                                Polling officials leaving for poll duty, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1998
                                                                               Commission  was  confronted  with  the  challenge  of
                                                                               holding Lok Sabha elections in the most difficult part of
                                                                               the year. The inclement summer and the rainy season are
                                                                               far from ideal election seasons. Almost all elections since
                                                                               1951-52  had  taken  place  in  the  period  between
                                                                               November and April or at most in May.
                                                                               After  intense  deliberations,  the  Election  Commission
                                                                               decided to hold the elections in the month of September,
                                                                               spilling into the first week of October, 1999. Majority of
                                                                               the  political  parties,  who  held  discussion  with  the
                                                                               Commission  on  May  3,  1999  favoured  the  idea.  The
                                                                               decision  was  publicised  through  a  Press  Release  on
                                                                               May  4,  without  actual  announcement  of  the  poll
                                                                               schedule, or implementation of Model Code of Conduct.
                                                                               The decision was vindicated in hindsight, as an external
                                                         Let the ballot papers roll, 1998  security crisis loomed on the horizon.


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