No reason to brand Chawla partisan

After ensuring relative peace during the 2005 Bihar poll, KJ Rao, the 67-year-old former advisor to the Election Commission (EC), today tracks the conduct of elections across the country.

For now, however, he is concentrating on home state Andhra Pradesh through Election Watch, a voluntary watchdog panel against poll-related irregularities. He spoke exclusively to DNA on, among other things, continuing his struggle to bring electoral reforms. Excerpts:

What is the poll scene in Andhra like?
It is alarming. It is worse than UP and Bihar. Almost all parties are distributing money and liquor.

Are money and liquor distribution the only issues?
About Rs11 crore has been recovered in four days. The amount of liquor recovered is also huge.

How much money do you think each candidate will spend?
What has been seized is just about 10% of the expenditure planned by candidates. The total expenditure in Andhra would be about Rs1,200 crore.

What about irregularities?
Irregularities are more about violation of the model code. We are tracking them. For instance, in Cheepurupalli and Gajapathinagaram in Vizianagaram district, liquor was being freely distributed and leaders were mobilising the poor for processions by paying Rs100 per head.

Which is the latest form of violation?
We have received complaints that candidates in several constituencies sponsored Ram Navami pandals.

What’s the status of policing in Andhra?
It has improved. Even my vehicle was stopped twice for checking and I saw an MP’s being stopped. I am told even ministers’ vehicles are being checked.

You have been talking of electoral reforms for sometime now.
Many reforms have been suggested by Election, Law and Venkatachaliah commissions. If everyone joins in, it’s well and good. Otherwise, (former chief election commissioners) JM Lyngdoh, GVG Krishnamurthy and me are going to take it up immediately after this election through the Foundation for Advanced Management of Elections at the highest level.

What are the reforms?
Reforms have to start from appointing the chief election commissioner and members of EC. We should have a committee of people such as the Chief Justice of India and the opposition leader for the appointments, so that there are no issues later. Identification of voters needs to be reformed immediately.

But the new CEC, Navin Chawla, has been identified with a particular political party.
It is unfortunate that parties are openly criticising EC. In the case of the individual you are talking about, there is no reason to brand him as belonging to a particular party.