The Election Commission of India (ECI) asking the BJP and the Congress to desist from raising divisive issues in campaigning in the general election is a case of better late than never. The ECI has, in recent years, disappointed the Indian electorate by its inability to be effective, impartial and prompt in its role as the watchdog of elections. This is partly a function of the mechanism of the appointment of the ECI’s members, which is entirely a partisan decision of the executive. The ECI has now written to BJP president J.P. Nadda to ask “star campaigners” of the party to refrain from making statements which “may divide the society”. Its letter follows his response on May 13 to a notice issued to him over a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Banswara, Rajasthan — Mr. Modi had referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and “people with more children.” The letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asks him to ensure that the party’s star campaigners desist from making any statements which may cause tensions between different castes and communities. These rebukes from the ECI to the parties come a day after it censured the former Calcutta High Court judge turned BJP candidate from Tamluk, West Bengal, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, for his remarks against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee. He was barred from campaigning for 24 hours.
Earlier, the ECI had acted against YSRCP chief, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, BRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana Minister Konda Surekha, BJP leaders Shobha Karandlaje and Dilip Ghosh, and Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate and Randeep Surjewala. Complaints against U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, last week, for their alleged violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) are pending. Overall, these measures might give an appearance of impartiality but that is not enough. The ECI is assuming a false parity between legitimate debates on policies that impact various social groups differently and an incitement of xenophobia for social polarisation. The MCC cannot be a ruse to muffle political debates and disagreements which are, and should be, at the heart of campaigning. Misuse of power and creation of disharmony fall in a different basket. The integrity and the credibility of the ECI is central to the legitimacy of elections. Reinforcing its independence should be a priority for all stakeholders in Indian democracy, particularly political parties and the judiciary. The ECI is too important to be left to itself.
