Ec May Call All-Party Meet To Discuss Directive

The election commission is likely to convene an all-party meeting to discuss ways to operationalise its recent order debarring persons convicted from contesting elections, even if they have appealed to a higher court. A number of politicians and parties, ranging from the BJP to the CPI(M), are uneasy about it, although all have welcomed it.

Election commissioner GVG Krishnamurthy told some Left leaders yesterday that the commission was ready to discuss ways to prevent the entry of criminals into politics with all political parties.

Left leaders told him about their reservations on Chief Election Commissioner MS Gills announcement that anybody convicted by a trial court would be debarred from contesting elections for six years under section 8 of peoples representation act.

While welcoming the move as a step in right direction, Left leaders said that the announcement was vague and could be used as a weapon not to let genuine politicians fight elections. CPI(M) politbureau member Sitaram Yechury said there might be false cases put up against genuine politicians and this could prevent them from contesting.

CPI(M) central committee member Hanan Mollah added there must be some safeguards for political activists who were sometimes convicted because they led some political processions.

CPI leaders M Farooqui and DRaja shared the same view and said the CECs announcement was a hasty one without proper consultations with political parties which were ging to be effected by such order. Farooqui said the order could be challenged in the court as there was no demarcation between political activists and criminals.

BJP spokesperson KL Sharma said the move could result in the courts being filled with cases appealing bar orders. To be effective, he said, such checks needed to be made through electoral reform legislation. He said consideration needed to be given to whether one who had appealed against a trial courts conviction should be barred from elections.