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A couple of our readers have asked me to make the following requests to P. Manivannan:
1. Whenever a film is released, a “Star procession” is taken along the city roads. Please stop this.
2. On Sunday the 25th of this month, when the election results are announced, the supporters of the winners will set - off fire - crackers on the roads and open spaces. Please ban this or restrict this practice.

It is not always that a voter has to thank the Chief Election Commissioner and his other two brother Commissioners for enabling him to vote in peace and without suffering the slings and arrows of election campaign. But this time round they deserve our thanks.

For the first time in my life, I am totally satisfied with the manner in which the electioneering was regulated without being bombarded by the contesting candidates in my office, on the roads and in my house. It did not happen even during the period of T. N. Seshan, who took the path-breaking steps to rein in the impetuous, aggressive, violent and domineering candidates and their over-enthusiastic campaign agents and followers with longs and chains.

Mr. Gopalaswamy, Mr. P. Manivannan and Mr. Vidyashankar

In the past, flex boards, posters, banners, buntings and hand - bills were freely allowed to be distributed and displayed. As a result the whole city used to be rubbished and disfigured. Even processions were allowed to be taken blocking the roads and causing inconvenience to citizens at the time of filing the nomination and thereafter. Despite efforts, T.N. Seshan could not control the free flow of liquor and other allurements to the voters. Sadly there was no Manivannan then. The then District Election Officers were apparently men with feet of clay who kowtowed to our politicians. No wonder the Long, the Chain, the Blade and Blood were in the open.

But this time, anything of this kind could not happen. Small wonder though, most of the candidates and the party did not protest against the seizure of cars carrying cash. And if they protested, their protests seem to have carried no conviction. For once the Election Officers and Police seem to have become over-vigilant and too active for the comfort of the habitual offenders to escape without being caught.

I was wondering if these laws and rules, that enabled the Election officials, specially the District Election Officer P. Manivannan to control the electioneering activities of the candidates, existed in the law books already. If these laws and rules were already there earlier too, then why they were not enforced as strictly as they were during this election? The way these laws were enforced looked draconian to the candidates no doubt. But the voters welcomed these laws and their strict enforcement by Manivannan as the District Election Officer.

Some of our readers had asked me whether Manivannan was simply enforcing Election Model Code of Conduct [EMCoC] agreed upon by the political parties in letter and spirit. The answer for this question should be in the affirmative for the reason that this EMCoC, a creation of the Election Commission of India, was in the past not effectively enforced. This time Manivannan enforced it in letter and spirit. However, to enforce this EMCoC the Election Commissioner and all the Election Officers are well armed with certain provisions incorporated in the People's Representation Act. Under this Act, I am told, in order to enforce the EMCoC and in order to conduct the election in a free, fair and peaceful manner, the Election Officer can invoke any provision of any Act which is available to them in this country.

Of course, I need not mention that People's Representation Act was made by these very politicians and passed in the Parliament unanimously. In order to make it stronger, some amendments were introduced, which were also passed, except the one which provided for the right to recall the elected candidate by the voter. By taking cover under the umbrella of this law, our District Election Officer Manivannan honestly enforced every available law to corner our enthusiastic candidates contesting the election. I understand Manivannan had brought into operation the EMCoC formulated in 2001, under the provisions of People's Representation Act, which is the Mother Act. For a local thrust, Manivannan invoked the Police Act, the Revenue Act, IPC, Cr. PC and what have you. Good. And he and the voters got the result they wanted. A peaceful, fair election. No murder, no violence. Long, machchu and chain did not figure in this election.

Knowing Manivannan by now, it is not surprising he went about creating a number of Sectoral Magistrates out of Junior Engineers, Health Officers and such Government Officers with powers that exceeded that of DCPs and ACPs of the Police Department. For sure Manivannan must have got unstinted support from the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer M. N. Vidyashankar. Indeed, a dirty job, well done! Howzzat? From what I have read in the newspapers and seen in Mysore City and also in the rural areas, there is no doubt the District Election Officer Manivannan has emerged as a hero of this election and as the best officer in enforcing the Election Model Code of Conduct when compared to the officers in other districts of the State.

My car was subjected to a thorough inspection twice while going out of the city limits and once while entering Mysore District. Inspecting Officers were gentle. Whatever appeared in the newspapers about the harsh behaviour of these officers might be for the reason that the occupant of the vehicle might not have co-operated with them resenting such inspection or might be they were carrying contraband or cash for election purpose.

If each district in Karnataka gets a Deputy Commissioner like Manivannan there is no doubt the districts will have made lot of progress economically and in the matter of law and order. If a district can also have a Police Commissioner like Kempaiah or H. T. Sangliana and if they could work in tandem, the district could be a heaven on earth. But then, will our politicians fit into this scheme of administration? That is a big question and the answer is no. As long as our political parties do not field educated, honest and socially committed candidates to contest the elections and as long as our voters do not have a fair chance to vote for a good candidate, there is no hope for the future of Democracy and to the poor of this country.

I must mention here about an interview given to Mysooru Mithra, our sister publication, by P. Manivannan and published this morning. It is being carried today in this paper also. To a question about allegation that he was spending more money than the candidates for conducting the election, Manivannan said that “to save democracy it is worth spending. You cannot value democracy in terms of money”. Very true. Incidentally, I came to know from the interview that for him this was the first election duty. Well, for a first timer, how well he has acquitted himself. He should be a role model to other IAS officers and District Election Officers. As a voter, I salute my hero.