Election Commission is Losing Its Neutrality in India

Source: The post Election Commission is Losing Its Neutrality in India has been created, based on the article “Yogendra Yadav writes: As CEC Rajiv Kumar retires, his legacy casts a dark cloud” published in “Indian Express” on 4th February 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2-Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

Context: The article criticizes the Election Commission of India for losing neutrality and favoring the ruling party. It discusses past phases of the ECI’s independence and decline. It urges the Supreme Court to ensure a fair process for appointing the next Chief Election Commissioner.

For detailed information on Changes to the process of selecting election commissioner read this article here

How Has the Election Commission of India Lost Its Neutrality?

1. Biased Handling of Delhi Elections:

• The ECI assured that the Budget would not impact the Delhi elections.
• However, BJP promoted tax exemptions as a “gift for Delhi” in campaign ads.
• The ECI acted aggressively against AAP but ignored BJP leaders’ remarks.

2. Politically Influenced Appointments:

• Since 2014, politically loyal bureaucrats have been appointed as election commissioners.
• Ashok Lavasa was sidelined and later sent to the Asian Development Bank.
• Arun Goel resigned abruptly and was appointed Ambassador.

3. Manipulation of Electoral Processes

• Assam delimitation: Electoral boundaries were redrawn to favor BJP.
• Surat 2024 election: A rare uncontested election in a non-conflict area.
• Vote transparency: The ECI withheld turnout data and changed disclosure rules.

What Are the Main Allegations Against the Current ECI?

1. Delimitation in Assam: Electoral boundaries were redrawn in a way that helped the BJP. This is a clear case of US-style communal gerrymandering.
2. Surat 2024 Election: A parliamentary election was held uncontested in a non-conflict area, which is rare and controversial.
3. Vote Counting Opacity: The ECI did not disclose turnout data properly and diluted transparency rules.
4. Biased Electoral Calendar: The four-phase polling in Odisha aligned with BJP’s campaign priorities.
5. Declining Public Trust: Lokniti-CSDS surveys show a sharp fall in trust in the ECI.

How Does India’s ECI Compare to Other Countries?

• Russia: Under Vladimir Churov (2007-16), Russia’s election body openly supported Putin.
• Pakistan: Elections there face vote counting manipulations and opposition disqualifications.
• India: While not as extreme, India’s ECI shows signs of bias and erosion of trust.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court must ensure an independent appointment process for the next CEC. If the current government continues to control appointments, democracy in India may suffer further.

Question for practice:

Discuss how the Election Commission of India has lost its neutrality and the impact of its actions on democratic processes.