New Delhi: Video Conference between the Full Election Commission and the Prime Minister’s office last month helped clear the difference between the Ministry of Law and EC for long-awaited electoral reforms, allowing changes needed for representation to be carried in the parliamentary winter session.
However, online interactions seem to have raised questions about protocol violations and constitutional properity.
In accordance with the norm, the commissioner of the main election or election commissioner maintains a safe distance from government meetings, for the sake of maintaining their independence and neutrality.
At best, they have routine interactions with the Ministry of Law, the nodal point to discuss matters relating to the election.
When reached by Toi, an EC high-ranking official denied the protocol violation or constitutional uncover in the CEC commissioner and the election that had an online, informal interaction with PMO.
EC officials revealed that CEC commissioners and elections, when asked by PMO to sort some differences of opinion and help solve logjam which could delay the selection reform proposed after almost 25 years, they themselves chose to pass the bureaucratic and red-tape procedures by approving video conferencing fast.
A source said the Ministry of Justice was previously written to the EC who was looking for the presence of CEC and EC at a formal meeting with PMO.
However, CEC Sushil Chandra was said to have taken a strong exception with the language and the tone of the letter and told the top ministry officers that it was very inappropriate to “expect” CEC or ECS to be part of the meeting.
It is believed that the Senior Law officials agreed with CEC’s view and said the interaction would be held with EC officials.
However, after the interaction failed to sort some differences – especially in the number of qualifying dates in a year for the newly qualified voter registration – PMO was said to have reached EC to informally but immediately heard the view of CEC.
and the election commissioner so the final agreement can be achieved.
CEC is said to have approved direct interaction of the VC link, which accidentally lasts a few minutes, because it does not want a bureaucratic procedure and a red ribbon to delay reforms that the EC has pushed over the past 20-25 years.
The idea is to accelerate this problem and sort the divergence of opinions at the highest level so that the bill seeks to apply selection reform by changing the R P action, can be taken in the winter session itself, said a source.
“This election reform must be taken in this year’s Monsune session, but the difference between EC and the Ministry of Law lifts them.
Even after the next meeting between the Ministry of Law and High Officials, there are different opinions with the Law Ministry who want first every month to become the qualification date for New voter registration, while the EC insisted that the four dates would be more practical.
Finally, thanks to the interaction of VC directly with PMO and the full commission, an agreement was achieved at four qualifying dates, “EC official said to TII.