Rahul picks Bihar hero for clean-up

NEW DELHI: In 1966, when Kommajosyula Jagannadha Rao joined the Election Commission, Congress was ruling the political firmament; it was almost a monopoly.

A motley group of opposition parties accused Congress of practising all that was antithetical to the health of democracy . Regardless, Congress went on.

Forty-three years later, 40 of which were spent in the EC, Rao is the man infusing inner party democracy in the same Congress. He is tasked with overseeing elections in Indian Youth Congress and National Students Union of India, two party outfits where polls were always a closed-door activity. Therefore, Rao feels it is a ‘‘ dreamcome-true assignment’ ’ — as exciting as riding into the rough and tumble of Bihar during the 2005 assembly elections — and one he hopes other parties will emulate.

Early this year, when Rahul Gandhi called former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh seeking his help for conducting free and fair elections in IYC and NSUI, he was directed to Rao.

As the general secretary of the Foundation for Advance Management of Elections, a body consisting of former CECs Lyngdoh, TS Krishnamurthy and N Gopalaswami among others, Rao set three conditions before Rahul. No criminal would contest, polls had to be transparent and disputes were to be settled by FAME.

Poll star as party monitor

Said to have toured J&K in hired taxi in 2002 to carry out inquiries into assembly elections

Credited with carrying out one of the fairest, most peaceful elections in Bihar in 2005. Weeded out bogus voters, clamped down on criminal elements, booth-capturing

Deputed to clean up electoral rolls in West Bengal in 2006 ahead of assembly polls.