Page 284 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

No Voter to be Left Behind - Snapshot of conducting elections through the decades
The Cons tuent Assembly (1946-49), while adop ng efficient manner notwithstanding India's vast and
adult suffrage, entrusted the conduct, control and complex terrain, insufficiency of resources and poor
superintendence of elec ons to a central and permanent literacy profile. In doing so, it developed procedures and
Elec on Commission of India. History has vindicated the methods that are thorough, dependable and transparent.
prudence of this decision for securing elec ons against
On January 17, 2001 while speaking at the Golden Jubilee
legisla ve and execu ve interference thereby pu ng
democracy on firm foo ng. The Elec on Commission, in Celebra ons of Elec on Commission of India, the then
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said-
true sense, facilitated India's transi on from a Crown
colony to a republic. This ins tu on implemented on “India built many ins tu ons a er a aining freedom and
ground the ideas and hopes of the makers of Indian adop ng a Republican Cons tu on. Each of them has
Cons tu on on electoral democracy. served the cause of the na on in its own dis nguished
way. But if anyone were to conduct an opinion poll on
Independent India acted as a pioneer of democracy in the
which of these ins tu ons has rendered the best service
non-Western world. She chose this form of government
when there were barely a dozen democracies le in the to Indian democracy with highest degree of integrity, I
have no doubt in my mind that the Elec on Commission
post-World War II era. The applica on of democracy given
Indian reali es was fraught with tough challenges. The of India will be our people's first choice.”
Elec on Commission took those challenges in its stride to More than a compliment, it is a huge responsibility, to
conduct the world's largest elec ons in a free, fair and which Elec on Commission must live up to in every

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