He also said that there was no politician in the country who was committed to democracy and welfare of the people. He declared he would refuse any post-retirement job, even if offered.

The CEC, who is to demit office in less than two months, said his parting message was to build pressure to incorporate free and fair elections as part of the fundamental rights of the Constitution.

In an interview to Karan Thapar on the "Hard Talk India" programme in BBC World, he reiterated that if people were "exposed" to too much of politicians they might get "cancer". In fact, he added, the politicians themselves are the cancer.

When told it was a stinging indictment of Indian democracy, Lyngdoh said it was because democracy meant a whole lot of other things.

"It's not merely going through the motions of an election. Democracy means basically individual freedom and that you respect individual freedom to the utter most extent. I can't think of anybody around now."

To a query whether it meant today the country was ruled by people who really were not fit to rule, he replied in the affirmative.