Page 76 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

The Representa on of the People (Amendment) Act, 1966
was enacted on December 13, 1966. The law disqualified
(vide its Chapter III), for five to six years, persons
sentenced by a court of law, from being members of both
central and state legislatures. However, the offences
pertained mostly to sedi on, abe ng deser on in the
armed forces, and electoral offences. The disqualifica on
was kept in abeyance, if an appeal had been admi ed by a
higher court.

The Fourth General Elec ons were held in January-
February, 1967. As K.V.K. Sundaram, the then Chief
Elec on Commissioner noted, “the pre-elec on
atmosphere in a number of States was marked by a degree
of tension, degenera ng here and there into outbursts of
violence, which was not no ceable during the previous
general elec ons”. “Reports”, he adds, “appeared
frequently in the press of elec on mee ngs in different
parts of the country being broken by rowdyism” (Report
on the Fourth General Elec ons in India, 1967 Vol-1, P.61).
However, he simultaneously observes how in some parts
of India like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal the poli cal
par es were willingly agreeing to follow a Code of Conduct
developed by the administra on.

Barring a few disjointed events, across the states, the
polls themselves did not appear to be violent. However, it
was the last me that elec ons to Lok Sabha and
Legisla ve Assemblies in the states were held
simultaneously. The synchrony between the terms of Lok
Sabha and Legisla ve Assemblies was lost soon.

A woman standing by a poster warning of the crime of impersonation
in elections, February 1967

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