Addressing the symposium on `Elections and Media' organised by the Press Academy of Andhra Pradesh here, he said that the media should ensure that democracy emerged as a meaningful phenomenon.

He said that all election officials have been instructed to monitor the deployment of central forces though law and order is a State subject. `They will be required to report to the commission on the deployment of the forces,' he said.

Stating that Indian electoral democracy was plagued with seven sins, he listed them as: criminalisation of politics, political corruption, non-serious political parties and candidates, black money in elections, electoral malpractices, nexus between politicians, mafia and police and unprincipled and opportunisticcoalitions.

Despite the drawbacks, the nation surged ahead in the developmental path due to the inherent strength of Indian democracy, he said.

Stating that conducting elections in the country was a gigantic task, he pointed out that were 686 political parties including six national, 48 state and 600 odd recognised regional parties in the country.

Stating that a majority of electoral reforms could only be enforced with the approval of Parliament, he said that the commission has instructed the governments to refrain from withdrawing criminal cases on the eve of elections.

Responding to pleas, Krishnamurthy said that the commission has made elaborate arrangements for provision of drinking water, first aid facilities and shelters for disabled at polling booths and also simplified rules governing coverage of elections by mediapersons. Press academy chairman Potturi Venkateswara Rao, in his presidential remarks, suggested setting up of a media centre in every assembly constituency to enable people lodgecomplaints on electoral malpractices.

Several speakers felt that media has ceased to play its designated role due to commercialisation of the field.

Hindustan Times editor V N Narayanan, Allahabad high court former chief justice A Lakshmana Rao, Centre for Public Policy & Social Development director GRS Rao, Indian Institute of Economics honorary director V K Srinivasan and others also spoke.