Ex-CEC: EC could have taken decisions quickly

Hyderabad: Former chief election commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy Tuesday said the poll body has done ‘a good job’ in conducting the Lok Sabha elections but could have taken decisions on certain complaints in time.

He also came out in support of the demand of election commissioner Ashok Lavasa that his dissent be recorded in orders on model code of conduct (MCC) violation cases.

“The Election Commission did a good job (in conduct of elections), reasonably well...”, he said.

The former CEC said he was not surprised by political parties’ attack on the EC, saying when it takes a decision on complaints of MCC violations, it has to be “one way or the other”.

But Mr Krishnamurthy, who oversaw the 2004 general elections, said the EC should have taken some decisions (on MCC violations) in time, and also while passing orders, it should have given reasons. However, he did not go into specifics.

“There is also criticism by one of the election commissioners about dissent having been not recorded; I don’t see no reason why dissent cannot be recorded,” he said.

“They (EC) could have taken decisions quickly instead of waiting for some time; secondly they could have given reasons whenever they have taken a view and third one is if somebody wants dissent to be recorded, it’s in fairness to record,” Mr Krishnamurthy said.

He also expressed the view that the EC should have considered postponing elections in violence-hit constituencies of West Bengal to send a strong message to political parties that such things cannot be condoned.

EC, Mr Krishnamurthy said, took prompt action in curtailing campaign time in the state as “there was so much of violence from all sides” in West Bengal.

But Mr Krishnamurthy added EC should have also even thought of postponing the elections in such cases.