Page 99 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Chapter 4

ECI Asserts its

Authority

n September 26, 1980 S.L. Shakdher, the then Bihar and a few other states, at least since the Second
Chief Election Commissioner of India, made a General Elections (1957). However, the malpractice
Ostrong pitch for electoral reforms at a public appeared to have gained ground across various states
meeting organised by the Voters' Council and Citizens during the 1970s, which led to the Election Commission to
for Democracy in New Delhi. He elaborated on a explore various remedies. In 1989, amendments to the
number of issues such as introducing Voters' identity Representation of the People Act, 1951 – vide Sections 58
A and 135 A- were enacted to make booth capturing an
card, launching of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM),
electoral offence. However, the situation did not improve,
enhancement of security deposit, raising of bar against
as the Committee on Electoral Reforms chaired by the
its forfeiture to one-fourth of votes polled, creating a
then Law Minister Dinesh Goswami (1990) observed.
corpus for state funding of elections, bringing
expenditure incurred by political parties into ambit of The Year 1990 commenced on an op mis c note, with
ceiling of election expenses, and empowering the regard to electoral reforms. On January 9, 1990 a mee ng
Election Commission to examine the election accounts on the subject of electoral reforms was convened in New
while increasing the permissible election expense ceiling Delhi under the Chairmanship of the then Prime Minister.
Members of Parliament, delegated by respec ve poli cal
to more realistic levels.
par es, par cipated in it. A thorough discussion led to
S.L. Shakdher flagged the issue of ‘booth capturing’, and iden fica on of at least 14 core themes.
offered a solution, which was vindicated in the long run.
A mul -member commi ee headed by Dinesh Goswami,
The key to deal with fraudulent voting, was the
the Law Minister, and comprising mostly MPs and ex-MPs
introduction of "identity-cum-photograph card and
from various poli cal par es was cons tuted. The
electronic vote recording machine".
Commi ee met on seven occasions between February 3
The menace of booth capturing, to believe his and April 11, 1990; and concluded its work by May 4,
predecessor S.P. Sen-Varma (1972), had been prevalent in 1990 when the dra of its report was approved.

81