New Delhi, July 28 - A top French official has praised India for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections saying it was a 'fresh and dazzling demonstration of the vitality of the Indian democracy'.

President of the Constitutional Council of France Jean-Louis Debre congratulated India's Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla for the smooth conduct of the month-long elections that were held in five phases beginning April.

Chawla visited France and met the head of that country's highest constitutional court last week.

'This is for the first time that CEC of India had interaction with top most appellate authorities of France,' according to an official statement here.