Our founding fathers, working on the Drafting Committee of the Constitution and as members of the Constituent Assembly, were great visionaries. They gifted us a Constitution that has remained steadfast despite occasional oversight by some political leaders, members of the legislature, executive, or judiciary. This has vindicated B.R. Ambedkar's belief that the Constitution's effectiveness depends on those who uphold it.
Recently, we celebrated Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, and nearly 77 years after Independence, India seems to be in much better health than most other countries that gained independence around the same time.
The founding fathers also laid a solid foundation for an election apparatus necessary for delivering timely, free, fair, and credible elections with utmost efficiency all these years. Part XV of the Constitution (Articles 324 to 329) was thoughtfully formulated and enacted with this purpose, recognising elections as the cornerstone of democratic renewal.
Article 324(1) stipulates that the superintendence, direction, and control of electoral roll preparation and election conduct, including those for Parliament, state assemblies, and offices of the President and Vice-President, shall be vested in the Election Commission (EC). Judicial interpretation of this provision has significantly bolstered the Election Commission's (EC) independence. Particularly, the Supreme Court ruling in the matter of M.S. Gill vs Chief Election Commissioner (1977) empowered the EC to tackle multiple challenges during the electoral process, ensuring timely completion of elections.
Making Elections Cost-Effective
This authority was effectively utilised by T.N. Seshan in the early 1990s to further elevate the EC's stature. In the 2016 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the poll body invoked the ruling to cancel polls in constituencies where significant cash and gifts were distributed to voters during campaigning. The decision was subsequently upheld in courts.
Article 324(6) mandates that the President or Governor, upon the EC's request, will ensure required staff strength for the institution's functions. This provision enables the EC to mobilise a temporary workforce of over 60 lakh polling personnel and 90 lakh security personnel for general elections to the Lok Sabha, managing nearly 96.8 crore voters across 10.5 lakh polling stations nationwide. After receiving induction training and guidelines from the EC, these personnel return to their regular duties post-election.
The Expenditure Per Vote
In democracies lacking such enabling provisions, a permanent burden of large manpower results in highly expensive election delivery. The ECI is globally renowned for its cost-efficient delivery of elections, compared to even neighbours like Pakistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
A recent report from the Centre for Media Studies revealed that during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, an average of Rs 700 was spent for every vote. This amount comprised Rs 583 spent by candidates/parties on campaigning, etc., while the remaining Rs 117 per vote constituted the expenditure incurred by the EC in conducting the elections.
Another recent report in newspapers highlighted that the EC's expenditure on elections grew from Rs 10.5 crore (for 17.5 crore voters) in the general elections of 1952 to Rs 3,870 crore in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections (for 83.4 crore voters). Comparatively, many developed democracies allocate significantly more funds for conducting elections.
Average Cost Continues To Be Low
India can take pride in swiftly delivering poll results within hours once the vote-counting process commences, unlike some countries, including the United States, where it may take several days to weeks. This efficiency is facilitated by our unique voting equipment - the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) combined.
However, it's noteworthy that certain political parties, which remained silent on this technology when they secured victory in elections, raised objections against EVMs upon facing defeat in other polls. They attributed their losses to alleged EVM tampering, which was in contrast with their acknowledgement of the technology's reliability when it favoured them.
Despite such controversies, the EC responded by issuing EVM challenges to counter the allegations. Yet, no party could either participate in these challenges or substantiate their claims. In response to widespread concerns, the ECI has provided a comprehensive document on their website titled 'EVM Status Paper' and 'EVM FAQs', addressing various rumours and half-truths concerning EVMs in detail, aimed at informing and reassuring all stakeholders.
It's high time we gave the commission its due.
(The author is a former Chief Election Commissioner of India)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.