NEW DELHI: India’s chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan has alleged that the government is not providing help to the commission to hold fair elections in terms of the country’s Constitution with the result that the commission had to put off all election activity until December 18. The commission, a constitutional entity, alleged that the Indian government was deliberately and consciously preventing it from discharging its constitutional obligations. The main dispute between the commission and the government pertains to allocation of staff to carry on the poll arrangements. The commission was of the view that the government had no right to decide on the staff for the commission. An immediate result of the commission’s decision would affect the future of Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar who must get elected before September 6 to retain his post. Indian government authorities on Aug.3 held urgent consultations with leaders of the opposition to devise ways to meet the crisis and to put combined pressure on Seshan to relent.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 6, 1993
