As the eight-phase, month-long West Bengal election rolls along in the midst of the Covid-19 surge in the country, at least three things ha...
As the eight-phase, month-long West Bengal election rolls along in the midst of the Covid-19 surge in the country, at least three things have become apparent.
One, the credibility of the Election Commission, which is among the more trusted institutions in India, has been severely dented. Two, the campaign, mostly bereft of issues, has hit the lowest possible registers. Three, the Bengal polls has once again highlighted that Indian democracy is often only about elections and victory at all costs.
The Election Commission made a blunder – intentional or otherwise – by stretching the polls for over a month. Even during normal times, eight phases for one state would have been excessive, but during a global pandemic the decision beggared belief.
The reason for prolonging the election in Bengal was the violence that usually accompanies polls in the state. But even after taking the violence into account, eight phases for one state – when the other states that went to election along with Bengal completed their election between one to three days – was hard to justify.
Indeed, the entire general election across the country in 2019 was conducted over seven phases, which makes the Election Commission decision in Bengal inexplicable. When the second Covid-19...
