THE EMPHATIC VICTORY of the Congress in the Karnataka election in May has broken several myths.
Myth 1. Electronic voting machines are rigged
Opposition parties blame EVMs when they lose elections. Even the BJP did so in 2009 when the Congress won elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh. Although allegations of EVM rigging had not a shred of evidence, many people believed them. But the Congress victory in Karnataka proves that EVMs are unfairly blamed, and that Indian elections are fair and transparent.
All the same, it behoves the Election Commission to order credible third-party audits periodically to certify the robustness and integrity of EVMs. The integrity of election commissioners, too, has been under a cloud. There is a perception that they are beholden to the ruling party and have often capitulated, and have not acted with independence in election disputes.
But, the commission has conducted flawless elections in states and to the Lok Sabha. Its task is herculean, considering the sheer number of voters (about one billion), the country's vast and varied terrain, and the administrative complexity of deploying lakhs of polling and counting officials and security personnel.
While international agencies paint India as an electoral autocracy and rank it poorly on the freedom index, it is heartening that India conducts its elections fairly and efficiently, and counts the votes and announces the results quickly-even in the communally polarised Karnataka, which went on to choose an atheist as chief minister. This yet again validates the vibrancy of our democracy.
Esta historia es de la edición July 23, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 23, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
