The Election Commission would be doing itself and the democratic process considerable disservice if it echoed the “sour grapes” line of the government and BJP members of the Rajya Sabha, and ignored the points made by the Opposition during the Elders’ discussion on electoral reforms. It is a tragic truth that with demonstrative disruption having usurped the place of dignified discussion in the apex legislature, there is tendency to treat lightly (even by the Presiding Officers) views expressed in “non-violent” debate, or for everything to be perceived through the prism of party politicking, yet there can be no masking the grim reality that the sanctity of the election mechanism is no longer “a given”. And the failure of Nirvachan Sadan to inspire the desired levels of trust and confidence is ominous. Allegations and suspicions that officials performing electoral duties function in accordance with the diktat of the ruling party, regardless of which party happens to be in power in the Centre or state at any given point in time, must be sincerely examined. The credibility of a process in which the nation took such tremendous pride must never be sacrificed at the altar of convenience. During the recent elections, in fiery UP in particular, the EC did “take note” of many transgressions, but seemed to back off from cracking the whip on anyone. With the result that questions are now being asked if the Commission has lost its “bite” after being shorn of the “Seshan bark”. Under sustained attack in the Elders was the use of Electronic Voting Machines that were not backed up by the “paper trail” system. Sure there is an element of “losers’ lament” to the criticism from the BSP and Samajwadi Party members, yet the fact that members of other parties which had little at stake in UP and Uttarakhand echoed their apprehensions added a ring of authenticity to the flak.

Significantly, the assault was not mounted on Nirvachan Sadan but on the central government for not making requisite funds available to it for upgrading apparatus. That some former CECs have faulted the Commission for not forcefully countering the criticism of “doctored” EVMs is something not to be discounted. Several other “reforms” were mentioned during the debate ~ by members from all sides of the House ~ which would require political consensus to implement. Hence it is critical that the debate be sustained, not shelved until the next round of elections. Yet in the short term the onus rests squarely with the EC, it cannot get away with claiming that EVMs are tamper-proof. After all, it was one of the BJP’s current spokesmen who was among the earliest of the “doubting Thomases”: doubts do not evaporate when “landslides” are recorded.

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