Bihar Results Have a Chilling Message: Elections are a Match Already Fixed

The Bihar elections which have given an unprecedented victory to the ruling combine led by the BJP and JDU with unbelievable strike rates for winning parties as high as 90 percent, serve to remind us that allegations of electoral manipulations were not a figment of imagination but a harsh reality in India today.

The elections were conducted after a massive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, despite serious concerns about its conduct raised by many political parties as well as responsible senior officials now retired from service, intellectuals, mediapersons and others. The Election Commission (EC) refused to heed to these genuine worries and pushed ahead, ultimately removing as many as 50 lakh people from the existing list.

The details of the Bihar voting patterns are yet to be seriously analysed by experts, but the absolutely unnatural outcomes point to a single direction: That the present verdict is a matter of extreme seriousness that herald an age of electoral match-fixing with the umpire taking the side of the powerful forces running the country.

These concerns have been raised even at the time of electioneering and many Opposition parties and individuals had placed before the EC a number of complaints, especially with regard to the new electoral roll. A large number of genuine voters had been delisted. However, though most of these grievances remained unattended, it has now come to public notice that the Commission had added more than 300,000 names to the list even after the release of the final roll. This looks like a surreptitious move with tacit official approval to help out the ruling parties where they apprehended a setback. The earlier complaints about the large number of removals, and the absurd nature of some of these removals, etc., are yet to be addressed or explained. For example, there were reports of unnaturally high numbers of dead people or larger numbers of young people or members of a particular community or social groups being removed, an issue flagged by experts and responsible media organisations after detailed review of the rolls. But such concerns received no attention nor any explanation from the authorities. It now appears that the electoral system in India has little credibility.

The open manner in which the ruling parties misused the Government machinery for their advantage is another disturbing development noticed in Bihar reaching unprecedented levels. The procession of freebie offers made to the voters in Bihar at public exchequer’s expense has been mind boggling. Around 1.25 crore women voters were offered Rs. 10,000 each as bonanza directly transferred to their bank accounts. Similar offers were made to many social groups, with a view to influence them on the eve of voting.

Providing social security to vulnerable sections is welcome, but when it comes as an election eve soap, it should definitely be considered as a corrupt practice meant to gain electoral advantage. But the EC has never bothered to check the constitutionality or legality of such practices. Even if someone takes it to the court there cannot be any reliable solution as the courts of justice normally do not interfere while the election process has already started.

The picture that emerges from Bihar in the aftermath of its Assembly elections is that India’s electoral system is now liable to be misused by those in power with no fears of any repercussions. The EC has, through its partisan approaches, done immense damage to its own credibility. India is now going on a slippery slope when it comes to the health of its democratic systems and practices. The ultimate result would only be disastrous. Bihar in that sense is a warning signal, a loud and clear message to the people of India to act to defend their rights and freedom.

P Abdul Majeed Faizy
National General Secretary