Adnan Faruqi
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India's chief election commissioner Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi retires
New Delhi: Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi, who completed his last day in office on June 10, will be remembered as much more than just India's first Muslim Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
During Mr Quraishi's tenure as the CEC, which lasted a little less than two years, the Election Commission conducted 11 reasonably peaceful elections, including in violence-prone states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
His impartial and no-nonsense approach was exemplified in the manner in which he chastised Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on the minority sub-quota issue in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
One of his most significant moves was to work in close co-ordination with the Income Tax authorities to crack down on the flow of money during elections. 'Unaccounted money' amounting to close to Rs 55 crore was seized in Tamil Nadu alone during the assembly polls last year.
Unfortunately, certain electoral reforms that Mr Quraishi championed - such as debarring candidates accused of heinous crimes from contesting polls and making paid news a cognisable offence - hang fire, largely due to a non-committal political class.
Comment: A CEC to be proud of
Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi sahab have handled the elections of the world's biggest democracy successfully. Best of luck for the future
New Delhi: Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi, who completed his last day in office on June 10, will be remembered as much more than just India's first Muslim Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
During Mr Quraishi's tenure as the CEC, which lasted a little less than two years, the Election Commission conducted 11 reasonably peaceful elections, including in violence-prone states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
His impartial and no-nonsense approach was exemplified in the manner in which he chastised Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on the minority sub-quota issue in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
One of his most significant moves was to work in close co-ordination with the Income Tax authorities to crack down on the flow of money during elections. 'Unaccounted money' amounting to close to Rs 55 crore was seized in Tamil Nadu alone during the assembly polls last year.
Unfortunately, certain electoral reforms that Mr Quraishi championed - such as debarring candidates accused of heinous crimes from contesting polls and making paid news a cognisable offence - hang fire, largely due to a non-committal political class.
Comment: A CEC to be proud of
Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi sahab have handled the elections of the world's biggest democracy successfully. Best of luck for the future
