TN Seshan: The man who cleaned up India's elections passes away

The 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India, Seshan, has been credited for several electoral reforms that brought an end to malpractices and brought transparency.

The man behind fixing the electoral system of India, TN Seshan passed away at his Chennai home on November 10. (Photo| EPS) 

Born in Palakkad district of Kerala, Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan served as the Chief Election Commissioner of India from 1990 to 1996.(Photo| EPS)

The 1955-batch IAS officer served as Secretary of Defence in 1988 under erstwhile Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and was promoted to the position of cabinet secretary a year later.(Photo| EPS)

Seshan has been credited for enacting the Model Code of Conduct. He introduced special election observers in all states who would take stocks of the poll campaign and 'check for incendiary campaign speeches, voter intimidation, vote-stealing and other tactics often associated with electoral violence'.(Photo| EPS)

He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in 1996. In pic: TN Seshan with Bollywood star Sridevi. (Photo| EPS)

After retiring as the CEC, he contested to be the President of India in 1997 but lost to KR Narayanan.