Last month, when Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena came out with a directive that the controversial Sabarimala issue should not be exploited to garner votes during campaigning, it triggered an uproar. While the CEO’s directive was not well received by any of the political parties, it did put him in the centre of attention.

Unlike his predecessors, the IAS officer from Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur is keen that his work should be noticed among voters.

Meena flagged off the Kerala Express as part of the collaboration between the Indian Railways and the Election Commission of India to create awareness on the need to vote. “The aim is to increase the polling percentage in the state from the previous 77% to 90-95%,” he had earlier said.

Meena even produced a music CD titled Thiranjedupp Geetham 2019 (Election Song 2019) and with the slogans ‘Vote cheyyan thayyyaraedukku, voterennathil abhimaniku’ (Get ready to cast your vote, be proud to be a voter). The songs in the album were sung by popular south Indian singer KS Chithra and penned by popular lyricist and IAS officer K Jayakumar.

Even at the press meet that Meena convened on Saturday to explain about the preparations ahead of the April 23 polls, he distributed coffee mugs with a call to vote.

Proactive and a no-nonsense officer

“Meena is a very meticulous officer who has an eye for detail, he is a non-compromising officer, a no-nonsense officer, and I think he is the right person to hold the post. The post comes with a lot of pressures and he has the strength to withstand them. When he approached me to write the lyrics for the music CD, he told me that when Chithra sings a song it will have some impact on the people,” Jayakumar told TNM.

Not that Meena’s predecessors, for example PJ Thomas who later became the Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Nalini Netto who subsequently became the Chief Secretary, were not efficient, but Meena has been taking some extra steps to make the post more popular.

“How many of us even know who the Chief Election Commissioner of India is. Here lies the relevance of the proactive steps taken by Meena to make the work he does more popular. We cannot say that he does all this solely for publicity,” a political observer said.

Meena's way of making the work done by the Election Commission noted by the public has got mixed opinions. "It is highly relevant for an officer of his post to consistently communicate with the masses. Meena is doing it in the right manner. It is also important for an officer holding a constitutional post to make the public aware of the power the position holds. I have been attending the meetings that he convened, and I never felt that he was being partial. He is fair and just," says Thampanur Ravi, KPCC General Secretary and former MLA.

Brickbats over Sabarimala

But not everyone is all praise for the CEO. Meena did attract the wrath of several political leaders for bringing up the most sensitive issue in the state just as it goes to polls.

Insinuating he had a hidden agenda, BJP General Secretary and candidate from the Attingal constituency Sobha Surendran asked if Meena was doing the work of the Election Commission or working as secretary of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Not that Sabarimala was not mentioned during the campaigning. But with the CEO’s stern management, there was more restraint and option to complain against those who opposed the directive. It has also led to a larger debate on the need for regulations when it comes to sensitive issues in a process like elections.

CPI(M) leader M Vijayakumar also believes that Meena's stern attitude was what the election process this time needed. "It was TN Seshan who reformed the election process in India. Recently, the Supreme Court had to ask the EC if they have become aware of their power.  It was crucial that during an election where sensitive issues are discussed in a way that does not befit a democracy, a CEO asserts his power…Meena has done it effectively," says former minister and CPI (M) leader M Vijayakumar.

Vijayakumar believes the wrath that Meena has attracted is only natural. "It is natural to be attacked, to face opposition when officers who hold such position take impartial stands. Some of his directives like removing graffiti or posters in short notice has put us in trouble and it was tough for us to do that. However, we accepted it as he was just and impartial. His work is transparent too," Vijayakumar says.

Meena was posted as the state Chief Electoral Officer in March 2018. The 1988 batch officer’s stint in Kerala began as a sub-collector in Malappuram. Hailing from a humble tribal family in Rajasthan, he has earlier worked for the Planning Commission of India and in the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister.

“Meena once told me that his parents were able to provide higher education only for one of their sons and his elder brother had given up the opportunity for Meena. Both his predecessors, Nalini Netto and PJ Thomas, were every effective in their work; in fact, both were outstanding. But Meena does the job differently; he is also honest and stands on the side of justice,” says CP Nair, former Chief Secretary.