Election Commission tinkering with poll dates casts doubts on its role

A school headmaster may well draw a better academic calendar than what the Election Commission of India (EC) has of late been doing with regards to election timelines.

Soon after the Haryana Assembly polls were rescheduled, the date of polling for nine Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, besides five more in two other states, has been reset. Yet, in places like Bihar and Rajasthan, this remains unchanged.

Is EC so incompetent?

Is such mishmash because of sheer incompetence, lack of foresight, or poor planning on the part of the EC? Or, is there more to it?

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No one is sure even as Opposition parties cry foul both in the case of the Haryana elections and the Uttar Pradesh by-elections, since changes in the date of polling were made following requests from the ruling BJP.

The party in power in the state along with its allies, besides the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), moved for shifting the poll dates in Uttar Pradesh. Soon, the poll panel obliged by rescheduling the date from November 13 to November 20.

Opposition’s grouse

The reason behind the opprobrium of the Opposition in general and the Samajwadi Party in particular against the BJP and the EC is the fact that the latter has concurred with the ruling conglomerate stretching from the Centre to Uttar Pradesh. This was also true for Haryana.

The excuse for Uttar Pradesh is that Kartik Poornima, a day considered auspicious, falls on November 15, close to the day of polling set earlier, November 13. So, the poll body postponed the polling date by a week.

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The two-day gap between the polling day and the sacred day was thought to be too close to allow polling.

What MCC says

The point is that together with a party or parties, the EC endorsed the significance of certain rites associated with Kartik Poornima though the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for polls does not allow for the use of religious signs, symbols or indications during elections in any way. It is so since these can influence the voters’ mind in favour of one party or the other.

But here, it is none other than the EC that is acceding to the request of a political group to do just that.

The case of two other states – Punjab and Kerala – where five other Vidhan Sabha by-elections have also been deferred in a likewise manner, is also similar except the fact that the request for this was made by the Congress and not the BJP or any other party.

Why is EC pandering to parties?

The EC may well say it has not been accepting the request of any single party but has decided upon pleas received from diverse parties. But the fact remains that it is allowing requests from parties on the grounds of rites, rituals and customs.

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Moreover, giving leeway to parties on one front could well open the doors for others.

The EC has the right or even power to correct any oversight on its part or reverse any of its decisions. Thus, the parties should go by its wisdom and discretion rather than goading it to toe their line, with the EC obliging them.

The way polling dates have been extended suggests the parties making the request are consulting religious heads or sects’ chiefs or perhaps even astrologers before seeking a rescheduling.

Changing dates can sway voters

Once their request is favouraby cleared, voters of a particular ethnic denomination could get influenced by, or enamoured of, the party making the request.

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This has the potential to destroy or diminish the confidence of voters outside the sect being obliged by the election panel.

Today, elections are all or mainly about ethnicity and pandering to faith, sects and castes. Open, blatant and brazen use of parochial discourse is rampant. This cuts across the political spectrum.

Yet, the EC seems to be a mute spectator.

Black mark for democracy

Millions of voters get swayed by outmoded thoughts parroted by leaders drawn from myriad ethnicities during electioneering; sadly, the EC never or seldom cracks its whip the way it should be doing to curb the indelicate use of faith, belief and similar other vulnerabilities of the electorate.

(The Federal seeks to present views and opinions from all sides of the spectrum. The information, ideas or opinions in the article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Federal.)