The election commission as an institution is facing a serious crisis of integrity and credibility. Ever since the rumbling against the evm machines started, the response of the election commission has been resented by the opposition and of late its entire conduct, including its declaration of schedule, its condescending attitude towards the opposition, its stonewalling of all questions has made it the prime villain of the polity.
As an institution, it has failed to stand up, when it mattered the most. For the first time since independence, the society and its polity is so deeply polarized with a cult wishing to exploit it for establishing its hegemony.
In such circumstances it needed a strong and bipartisan arbitrator, who could help the divided country manage its divisions, but the commission seems to have submitted to power.
Immediately after the 2024 general elections, many civil society groups apprised the commission of their doubts with relevant data, only to fall on deaf ears. Subsequently Haryana and Maharashtra elections raised greater doubts, but the commission never tried to clear them.
The controversial SIR, first in Bihar and now across a dozen states, where even the Supreme Court proved a helpless bystander.
The 3 press conferences by Mr Rahul Gandhi, proved to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The commission lost its credibility and legitimacy.
Amidst all this, we saw special trains running from Haryana with factory made voters, bound for Bihar. The railways have issued clarification, that rather confirms the doubts.
Eminent lawyer Kapil sibal has raised important questions and the commission can only brazen it out. RJD Chief Minister designate Tejaswi Yadav, has also raised questions on the conduct of the elections thus far.
VVPAT slips strewn across the streets, strong room cctv outages and power failures, and the usual contemptuous silence of the election commission.
The election commission can still brazen it out, riding on the back of an equally solipsistic regime and its lapdog media.
But the republic is suffering. It’s time, remedial measures are taken by institutions and above all the people themselves.
