India’s Election Commission (EC) is facing charges of being partisan and is under a serious cloud due to its recent actions.

Their partisan behaviour is now routinely on display. The EC’s current lack of independence is made more conspicuous by its historical perception as an independent institution. The EC’s actions during some of the recent elections, such as the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2020 Bihar assembly polls, have been widely questioned. The blatant harassment of one of the election commissioners, Ashok Lavasa, whom the government had not found pliable enough, has also indicated the extent of the government’s interference. The behaviour has been noticed globally as well, as India’s ranking on several global democratic indices has plummeted. When questions are raised about the electoral process, they are often about electronic voting machines or electoral bonds. While these issues are central to the electoral process, sustained attention also needs to be paid to the activities of the EC, whose role is to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

In the past, the commission has been eulogised by scholars for its quiet but robust presence.

No longer. In the V-Dem report on democracy, the reduced autonomy of the election management body or the EMB - the Election Commission was among the too three reasons for downgrading India to an Elected Autocracy.

My report has more details - the journey to today where there is little faith in such an important institution - https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/why-election-commission-neutrality-doubt