VICTORY UNDER CLOUD

An election commission that these days is defended only by the BJP, and otherwise stands discredited, is a deeper loss that cannot be washed away by the victory celebrations of the BJP or its allies

- Jagdish Rattanani

There was a time in India when whatever the election results, the Election Commission of India (ECI) was the acknowledged winner of the battle and the chief protector of India’s democratic traditions.

The ECI was initially tame, then it became a tiger under the Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan and has since kept up its image as a fierce protector and an independent arbiter of the one ingredient that is critical for the democratic success of India — the process of elections. Come election time and political parties would test boundaries, but the ECI would stand up, ensure that the violations were called out and indeed increase scrutiny and oversight so that the process was not only fair but also seen to be fair. That is now likely to be seen as the golden age that is no more a part of the Indian electoral process.

Today, the end of elections marks the beginning of a new battle over results, a slide that should cause serious concern to the entire political system and to the proud history of a young nation that has successfully run a reasonable and fair election process since independence.