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A day before he lays down office, Chief Election Commissioner Dr M S Gill said that he has no regrets. He hoped that in the days to come the people of India would see neutral governments at the Centre and those states where the elections are going to be held.
"You may not agree with me now, but I am telling you that this is going to happen. You wait and watch," he said cheerfully.
He thanked the media for its support. "We had a mutual benefit scheme. You in the media thought that you had used me and got a story and I for one thought that I had used to the media to my advantage," he said as newsmen burst into laughter.
He refused to give any tips to his successor J M Lyngdou. "I feel he is going to outdo me and work even better," Gill said with a big smile.
When asked if he had made up with Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, he said, "I am a friend of hers but I do not know whether she is a friend of mine. The elections generate lot of heat and if someone throws some stones on us it is alright. Since as the head, I am the face of the EC any anger was bound to be directed at me," he explained.
He said that the commission is not a lawmaker but it has to implement it. "On certain matters we were taken to court by vested interests. All those cases ended in our favour. The commission has become stronger and I hope it will do even better," Gill said.
He claimed whether it was the commission orders alloting symbols to political parties, or use of electronic voting machines or something else, the commission managed to have its way.
He expressed the hope that some of the ambiguities of the People's Representation Act would be sorted out. Particularly the one which deals with the disqualification of the candidates who have been convicted for more then two years under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"It has been a privilege and an honour to be CEC for an eventful five years. Alongwith my colleagues, I have endeavoured to strengthen India's electoral democracy, and to run it in a stable neutral manner," he said in a press hand-out.
"It has been my conviction, that close interaction with political parties is essential to run a good electoral democracy, and I wish to thank all the political parties, for the cooperation and courtesy they have always extended to me."
"I also wish to place on record, my warm thanks to the five million civil and police personnel, who assist the EC, in every national election. I am grateful to my colleagues in the commission for their ready support and cooperation."
"Above all, I wish to salute the Indian citizen for having demonstrated, a strong support for India's democratic electoral system," the hand-out said.
Gill denied that he has been offered the post of vice-president of India by the National Demcratic Alliance government. "Tomorrow I will be a free man and I would play every ball to its merit," he said.
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