Post-Independence, the Election Commission discovered that it was not going to be easy to hold free and fair elections in India. Which among the following is not a reason contributing to such a perception?

The Election Commission was not competent to train officers and polling staff to conduct the elections.

The correct answer is Option (2) → The Election Commission was not competent to train officers and polling staff to conduct the elections.

• After Independence, the Election Commission of India faced several genuine challenges in holding the first general elections (1951–52):

  • Large size of the country (geographical spread, remote areas).

  • Delimitation of constituencies had to be carried out.

  • Preparation of electoral rolls for millions of first-time voters was a huge task.

• However, the competence of the Election Commission was never in doubt. The Election Commission trained over 3 lakh officers and polling staff to conduct the elections.