The Election Commission of India (ECI), along with all stakeholders in the electoral process, must re-consider the scheduling of the elections, especially its long-drawn process, said Ashok Lavasa, former Election Commissioner of India, on Wednesday.
Shortening the election process is a necessary reform that will “improve the quality of campaigning and put less stress on the resources of all concerned,” he remarked, speaking at a webinar on “Umpiring Elections 2024: The Role of Election Commission of India”, according to a release by Bengaluru Collective, a forum of concerned citizens engaged with current political and social issues, which had organised the event.
Making a strong case for transparency in the functioning of the ECI and for reform in many areas of its functioning, Mr. Lavasa noted that it is the only institution created under the Constitution that has a direct “trust bond” with the citizens of the country. It’s “infinite reservoir” of discretionary powers which comes into play during an election period must be used to ensure a level-playing field, he added.
On the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), he said the ECI must have a monitoring mechanism to show what action has been taken in respect of violations of the MCC so that people know “there is no laxness towards election offences.” He suggested that the Election Commission and National Crime Records Bureau websites have a separate window where election offences are separately classified and monitored.
On the controversial issue of the ECI’s inaction on violations of the MCC in this election season, Mr. Lavasa said, “It is high time the MCC goes through a major overhaul in the light of a changed environment where technology allows people to circumvent the MCC in a way that might meet its letter, though certainly not its spirit.”
Directing many of Mr. Lavasa’s concerns towards the functioning of the current ECI in the 2024 elections, Prof. Jagdeep S. Chhokar, founding member of the Association for Democratic Reforms, noted the “inconsistent” way in which the ECI has enforced the MCC. In 2019 it had been “very lenient to the ruling party” and in 2024 the situation has “if anything, worsened” he said.
