It’s testing time for the Election Commission too
The upcoming elections to five states are as much a test for political parties as they are for the Election Commission of India. While polling begins on February 10 and the outcome will be known on March 10, the popular verdict on the EC’s ability to deal with multiple challenges will be known much before that. For, its standing as an independent constitutional authority was badly bruised during the last round of Assembly polls when the second Covid wave was on.
This time around, the EC has banned poll rallies and road shows till January 15, adding any relaxation will be subject to reassessment after that date. With the third wave just starting to build up, the situation can only worsen in the next couple of months before it stabilises. It’s difficult to imagine how the poll body will get any wriggle room to ease the curbs, though it has issued instructions on mass rallies, including creating mask kiosks at the venue, ensuring proper distancing, capping attendance and making district magistrates accountable for lapses. Also, candidates and parties flouting the restrictions will not get permission in future. The best available options then would be door-to-door contact—when surreptitious voter bribing often happens—and holding virtual rallies.
The other important challenge is to address criminalisation of politics. Parties have been directed to write to the EC within 48 hours of selecting any candidate with a criminal record as to why and how the choice was made. It must include the person’s qualitative achievements, including public service, and not just harp on winnability. Those delaying the communication will be reported to the Supreme Court to face contempt charges. But it remains to be seen if the directive will prod parties to deny tickets to goonda elements and bring sobriety to politics.
The third big problem is to enforce the period of silence before polling day on social media. Though the EC expects platforms to enforce their voluntary code of ethics on those days, how effectively it can be implemented to tackle toxicity is uncertain. Anyway, if the poll watchdog shows it is even-handed in both its bark and bite, it can expect to regain its lost glory.