Anjali Bhardwaj on misgivings over India’s Election Commission: State of Southasia #36

The Election Commission of India was, for many years, one of the country’s most trusted public institutions lauded around the world for carrying out, every five years, the seemingly impossible task of India’s general elections. The commission was seen as non-partisan that did its work without fear or favour. That reputation has taken a hit in recent years.   Since August this year, it has been facing a particularly difficult test of its credibility after Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, made allegations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission ranging from voter fraud to inconsistencies in electoral rolls. These allegation were based on investigations into the Election Commission’s own records. Questions have also been raised over the commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter lists before the Bihar state elections as to the timing and manner in which it was conducted and the commission’s possible motivations for such an exercise.In this episode of State of Southasia, Anjali Bhardwaj, a transparency and accountability activist speaks to Nayantara Narayanan about the behaviour of the Election Commission in the conduct of elections over the past decade, the recent allegations it and its reluctance to share election and voter data. She says all this raises “very serious concerns both about the health of India's democracy and about the legitimacy of the governments that are functioning at the centre and in the states.”You can also listen to this episode on: 🎧 YouTube: https://youtu.be/V6XhVNmMzJo 🎧 Apple podcasts: https://bit.ly/44iEnBYEpisode notes:Anjali Bhardwaj’s recommendations:Newton - Amit V. Masurkar (Hindi-language film)Janne Bhi Do Yaaro - Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri (podcast on The Wire)Electoral Democracy?: An Inquiry into the Fairness and Integrity of Elections in India – edited by M G Devasahayam (non-fiction)Further reading from Himal’s archives:India’s BJP government gamed the Jammu and Kashmir election – and still lostAakar Patel on the unprecedented threats to India’s election: State of Southasia #03With an unfree and unfair election, Pakistan prepares to repeat its pastIn Bangladesh’s sham election, the only real contest is geopoliticalHimal Southasian is Southasia’s first and only regional news and analysis magazine. Stretching from Afghanistan to Burma, from Tibet to the Maldives, this region of more than 1.4 billion people shares great swathes of interlocking geography, culture and history. Yet today neighbouring countries can barely talk to one another, much less speak in a common voice. For three decades, Himal Southasian has strived to define, nurture, and amplify that voice. Read more: https://www.himalmag.com/Support our independent journalism and become a Patron of Himal: https://www.himalmag.com/support-himalFind us on: https://twitter.com/Himalistan https://www.facebook.com/himal.southasian https://www.instagram.com/himalistan/