Inside Track: Government seeks to clip election panel's wings

Back in the 90s chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan had become a law unto himself, claiming to, in his own words, "eat politicians for breakfast".

Fed up with his arrogant ways the Narasimha Rao government sought to clip his wings by appointing two more election commissioners.

Seshan was determined not to have them cramp his style and for nearly three years he used every stratagem to ensure that the two election commissioners did not have any role to play in the functioning of the Election Commission.

Ultimately both M.S. Gill and G.V.G. Krishnamurthy joined the commission but only at the fag end of Seshan's eventful term.

Now, the Vajpayee government may be taking a leaf out of the Narasimha Rao book to tame the present Election Commission. Stung by harsh comments of Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh and his refusal to order an early poll in Gujarat, a proposal has been mooted at the highest level in the government to increase the number of commissioners from the present three to five.

The idea is to ensure that the two new appointees are sympathetic to the cause of the ruling combine.

The Constitution provides for a multi-member Election Commission, a fact endorsed by the Supreme Court when Seshan challenged the appointment of the two co-commissioners.

What has surprised the Vajpayee government most is the stand of B.B. Tandon whom it appointed as the third Election Commissioner soon after his retirement. A mild-mannered man, it was believed that Tandon would be grateful to the ruling politicians for the post-retirement sinecure and, therefore, protect their interests.

But the government was in for a surprise when far from echoing the ruling party's line, Tandon whole-heartedly supported Lyngdoh on postponing the elections in Gujarat.

The government challenged the commission's order in the Supreme Court since it involved the breach of the constitutional provision which made it obligatory for meetings of the state legislatures to be held within six months of each other.

While the SC verdict is pending, the government moved to curb Lyngdoh's freedom by deciding in principle to appoint two more of its nominees as election commissioners. Apparently, a couple of retired IPS officers and judges have been short-listed.

However if Tandon's experience is anything to go by, there could be no guarantee that the two yet to be appointed election commissioners would not take an independent line once they find themselves ensconced in the statutorily protected sinecures in Nirvachan Sadan.

At the Indian Air Force's 70th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, October 8, the clutch of photographers were distracted by the presence of a tiny child cradled in the hands of his father.
And instead of clicking long-distance shots of the fighter jets zooming overhead, they all made a beeline for the VIP stand where the child sat in his father's lap.

The object of all this commotion was none other than the youngest member of the Nehru-Gandhi clan – Rehan, the son of Priyanka and Robert Vadra, was out on what could be his maiden VVIP function. And the shutterbugs were not likely to miss the opportunity to photograph him.

And click they did from all possible angles, certain that the photograph of Rehan in his father's arms would make it to the next day's front pages across the country.

But when word reached his mother, Priyanka, she is said to have blown her top. She did not want her son's mug beaming from a thousand papers at his tender age. So, soon Rehan's grandmother moved in to contain the damage.

Sonia Gandhi got on the phone with the editors of Delhi-based newspapers pleading that they respect Priyanka's wishes to protect her son's privacy.

Most newspapers, barring a new-fangled multi-edition daily, obliged. But the mischief was done by a national news agency which released the photograph. Sonia had not reckoned with the fact that the news agency runs a photo service of its own.

What do retired presidents do? Well, some of them fade from the public view. Others, like the late V.V. Giri, try to resurrect their political careers. Still others join the seminar circuit. It is now K.R. Narayanan's turn to join the capital's lecture circuit.

He put in his first appearance as a speaker at the India International Centre a few weeks ago.
This past week he was seen at a dinner hosted by Attorney-General of India Soli Sorabjee for the members of the visiting British human rights commission.

Narayanan, with wife, Usha in tow, was the object of much curiosity since this was their first outing in the informal party circles after they had left Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Another guest who drew a lot of attention was the former Governor of Maharashtra, Dr P.C. Alexander, who missed making his home on Raisina Hill by a whisker.