Seshan May Resign

EC officials are keenly awaiting the proposed meeting of the three commissioners on either November 4 or 5. A proposal to convene this meeting has come from election commissioner M S Gill, and would be communicated formally to Seshan and election commisioner GVG Krishnamurty. It is generally felt that the meeting might lead to a showdown between Seshan and the Commissions other two members and possibly, after a few days, to his resignation.

Seshans terming the October 28 majority decision of the commission as illegal and asking commision officials not to carry out the order has created confusion in the Commission.

Deputy secretary S Pani, who briefs press persons on the Commissions activities, has taken two days leave and is likely to attend office only on Monday.

Some senior officials, who are familiar with the patterns of Seshans ideosyncracies, feel that the present standoff between Seshan and the other two commissioners is a pointer that Seshan is bent on creating controversy at the time of his retirement.

A senior official pointed out that the decisions that were taken in Seshans absence were minor and not worth the controversy Seshan had raised - unless he wanted the media limelight. He also held that there was no illegality in the October 28 order as the court had also upheld the validity of the majority decisions.

The official added that the unnecessary controversy had led some officials at the Commission to suspect that Seshan might be preparing the ground to resign.