End shadows over democracy

"Vote Chori" is the latest political coinage minted by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and it echoed loudly in Parliament on Wednesday.

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Home Minister Amit Shah, never one to miss an opportunity, seized the phrase to deliver sharp counterblows.He pointed out to history to show how Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister despite receiving fewer votes than Sardar Patel and how Indira Gandhi clung to power even after losing her election case in the Allahabad High Court. As political ripostes go, Shah's interventions were clever, well-aimed and rhetorically effective. Gandhi, by contrast, had little new to add beyond what he had already said at three widely covered press conferences. But while the political spectacle entertained, crucial questions that matter to the ordinary voter were left unanswered-especially those concerning the functioning of the Election Commission.