TAKING a cue from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has been sending shockwaves through political parties. Last week, Election Commissioner G.V.G. Krishnamurthy raked up an issue that T.N. Seshan had earlier taken up and apparently abandoned. While the apex court recently asked political parties to regularly file their income-tax returns, Krishnamurthy opined that political parties should exercise inner-party democracy, including holding elections with regular intervals as per the provisions of the Peoples' Representation Act, under which they are registered with the Commission. His order requires parties to furnish the political principles, policies, aims and objectives besides names of those holding important office as per the party constitution. Last year, Seshan had suggested restoration of internal democracy, including elections, by the end of 1995.
Going by party constitutions, the ruling Congress seems to be the biggest defaulter. Its president is ordinarily elected for a two-year term and it is deemed that the party 'shall' have a seven-member parliamentary board elected by the working committee. P.V. Narasimha Rao, who was elected at the April 1992 plenary, continues to hold the post without a parliamentary board.
The Janata Party, between 1977 and 1986, made elections for the top post a regular two-year affair. The BJP also holds its plenary regularly but has of late made it a practice to follow the Congress ploy of effecting 'consensus' for organisational posts at all levels. However, the Election Commission fully acknowledges the 'unanimously recognised' office bearers. Perhaps the CPI(M) and the CPI are the most regular in holding organisational elections at regular intervals as stipulated under their party constitution.
A close scrutiny by the Election Commission might force political parties into replacing ad-hocism with regular democratic exercises. Since all the Commission wants is implementation of the parties' own constitutions, defiance would be rather difficult for political parties. Ultimately, it is up to the political parties to resort to democratic exercises, more as a matter of commitment than for public consumption.
