The success of electoral democracy can partly be attributed to the status and role of the Election Commission of India.” Explain.(UPSC CSE Mains 2021 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
- The EC has been referred to as “the means to the end of a vibrant representative democracy ” and as “a bulwark for free & fair elections in India”. In the case of Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain, the Supreme Court ruled that one of the most important & central features of the Indian democracy is “free exercise of franchise”.
- The Election Commission has been the only commission that has been mostly relied upon by the judiciary, police & political parties (According to the reports of 1996 National Election Study).
- ECI ensures that the elections to the Parliament & State Legislatures is conducted freely & fairly with highest degree of transparency, accountability & utmost professionalism.
- It helps in the establishment & execution of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for smooth conduct of elections & to regulate the conduct of candidates & parties. It has been rigid on the contravention of the MCC.
- The Commission has advocated the ideals embodied in our Constitution, namely, equity, equality, biasness and impartiality, supervising rule of law & control over the electoral process. Several efforts have been made to prevent increasing criminalization of politics by keeping a tab on muscle power & money expenses estimated by the candidates during elections, by disqualifying candidates with conviction for more than 2 years.
- The commission had never failed in taking disciplinary actions against the political parties if they neglect to preserve democratic values within the party.
- The Commission has been fruitful in building confidence & trust in the minds of elector regarding the conduct of election procedures & electoral system, thereby guaranteeing greater participation of people. It has generated awareness among the citizens about the importance of voting, its procedure of conduct & governance.
- There has been an exemplary rise in voter turnout in elections, especially the women voters. Fair election in India gives more licitness to the government eventuating in implementation of schemes effectively & efficiently.
- Rudolph and Rudolph note that the Election Commission has a key position at the heart of the new regulatory centrism of the Indian state, as an institution which acts as an enforcer of ‘rules that safeguard the democratic legitimacy of the political system’.
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