We will be working with Congress and the Comelec on the automation of counting and canvassing of votes for the 2001 elections. Overseeing elections in the world's largest democracy gives Manohar Singh Gill, India's chief election commissioner, a unique window on how well polls work. We have 605 million voters. We have converted the rolls into books and CD-ROMs available to political parties and candidates. If there is even a single bogus voter, the parties or candidates can stop him.
Political parties have little faith in local police to maintain neutrality.
All the states want central police forces to supervise elections. As deployment of central forces takes time, we had to split voting into five different days in the September elections. What is worrying is that those in power use the police for electoral gain. It has been coming down since 1991. Recent elections have by and large been peaceful.