ASIA : Film-Star Famous, Indian Reformer Is Facing a Fall : The public loves crusading election official T.N. Seshan. But his imperious ways have irked the ruling party.

The rogue elephant of Indian politics is, it seems, about to be de-tusked.

Central Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan is the only occupant of his office to have enforced tough controls on political campaigning and spending. He has tried to eliminate the advantages enjoyed by incumbents by, for instance, limiting the number of cars in campaign motorcades.

This crusading, sharp-tongued Brahmin from south India has become the hero of the country’s middle classes, who had despaired of being able to rid politics of corruption, nepotism and other malpractices. But there are signs that the former career civil servant with imperious ways has overplayed his hand.

“He has struck the fear of God into all parties,” comments Vinod Mehta, editor of the influential Pioneer newspaper. “All of them think they will be the gainers if they see the back of this chap.”

Mehta believes that public adoration may have gone to Seshan’s head, paving the way to what could be his downfall. “I went to a public function and was amazed at the number of people queuing up for his autograph,” Mehta said. “He’s like a film star.”

Such acclaim, Mehta says, may have made the 61-year-old Seshan an “autocrat.” Last month, he postponed six partial elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh until September because the chief minister there, Mulayam Singh Yadav, improperly used a government helicopter to campaign.

The Supreme Court, which had told Seshan to cool his often-acerbic public rhetoric a few weeks earlier, quickly ruled that he had exceeded his powers and ordered the election held as soon as possible. Voters went to the polls May 31.

The knives are out for Seshan in the ruling Congress-I Party, because before he took the job in December, 1990, chief election commissioners had been docile servants of their political masters. Because Seshan holds a constitutional office, he cannot be fired. Now his foes have come up with a new gambit.

There are now two other election commissioners, but only the chief is empowered by the constitution. Congress leaders want to amend the document to give the other commissioners, who are harmless ciphers, the same theoretical powers as Seshan and to require that all decisions be taken by a majority. Seshan will then be outnumbered.

The ruling party has a simple majority in Parliament but needs a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. Parleys are going on with opposition forces, although the largest, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, mindful of Seshan’s enormous middle-class support, has taken the chief commissioner’s side.

The first shot will likely be fired when Indian lawmakers assemble Monday for a special brief session to allow the introduction of a bill on election law “reforms.”

Seshan has refused to be cowed. Alluding to his considerable girth, he has said: “I have been in this dieting business for years. I haven’t been able to cut my size. How can anyone else cut my size? That’s impossible.”

Mehta believes that if Congress and other parties succeed in diluting his powers, Seshan will quit and run for political office. But whoever succeeds him, he says, will be very conscious that “he is sitting in Seshan’s chair.”