Outgoing CEC blasts bid to slight poll panel

NEW DELHI: Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishna Murthy on Sunday said that the controversy over IAS officer Saptharishi’s remarks on the countermanding of Chapra Lok Sabha polls was aimed at ‘‘denigrating’’ and ‘‘weakening’’ the Commission.

‘‘I felt it was sad. It was very unfortunate such things should have happened. My own inference is it is an attempt to denigrate the Election Commission so that its authority gets weakened,’’ he told reporters on the last day in office at the Nirvachan Sadan here.

Murthy said he was ‘‘upset’’ as the credibility of the Commission’s decision was being ‘‘questioned and politicised’’. He was certain this ‘‘agni pariksha’’ was good as the Commission could come out with flying colours.

‘‘I was upset that the credibility of the Election Commission’s decision was being questioned and it was getting politicised,’’ Murthy said. ‘‘There is no need to doubt the credibility of the Election Commission.’’

He said fortunately, the reaction from every responsible quarter to the controversy was in favour of the Commission. Murthy said the EC had ‘‘never exceeded its jurisdiction and will never allow itself to be irresponsible’’.

Hitting out at parties, Murthy said there were attempts by them to find some excuses to criticise the EC’s decisions.

‘‘Unfortunately, no political party likes it to be disciplined. Whenever rules and regulations are required to be enforced, the political party concerned does not like if it is enforced strictly.’’

However, the CEC said he was demitting office as a ‘‘happy man. I am a happy man and quite happy. I was to carry on the tradition of the Election Commission and the credibility of the Commission is at its peak.’’

Murthy, who will be succeeded by senior most Election Commissioner B B Tandon on Monday, favoured turning the model code of conduct into a law to give penal powers to the EC.

Observing that the model code of conduct was evolved through a consensus among parties and that this was being interpreted differently by some people, the CEC said the Commission’s consistent stand has always been to warn the violators of the code and act tough if the violations were repeated.

To a question on poll officials banning politicians from visiting their constituencies during the Bihar polls, he said the action was intended at ensuring purity of the polls. The official had acted as per the powers given by the law.

On his efforts to bar politicians with criminal antecedents from entering the political arena, he said, ‘‘I feel considerable time has been lost. But I understand the compulsions of coalition politics.’’

Referring to his meeting with President Kalam after the recent controversy, Murthy said he along with other the two Election Commissioners had explained the factual position. ‘‘I clearly pointed out that there was no fault in the decision taken by the Election Commission. There was enough material, there were enough complaints warranting the decision taken.’’

Asked about the highlight of his tenure, Murthy said there was international recognition on the credibility of Indian elections which ultimately resulted in the EC entering into a memorandum of understanding with the United Nation on utilisation of Indian personnel for conducting elections anywhere in the world.

Murthy said an advisor to the UN Secretary General had met him and wanted to know whether the Commission could undertake a package programme to conduct elections in smaller countries. It was indicated to the UN that it was possible. He had also mentioned that there was scope for setting up of an international academy for election management.

He said the Commission was quite convinced about the fairness of the electronic voting machines and said in the recent elections, whether to the Lok Sabha or the Bihar Assembly, no party could get a majority. ‘‘What other proof do you want on the fairness of elections...?’’