If morning shows the day, it can be said with certainty that it is going to be tough for those who cultivate sinister intentions to spoil the democratic atmosphere of the remaining six phases of general elections. ECI during the past three days has taken certain decisions which had sent signals that there would be zero tolerance towards any activity that is detrimental in ensuring fairness & transparency of polls.

Firstly, ECI has taken action against various leaders in central India for resorting to hate speeches and derogatory remarks while seeking votes and has banned them from engaging in any campaigning activity for periods ranging from 48 to 72 hours. Secondly, it had recommended that the polls in Vellore scheduled on April 18 be cancelled as it received a highly damaging report on abuse of money power in the constituency, acting on which the President of India has now rescinded the election. Thirdly, the poll watchdog had deferred polling in Tripura East parliamentary constituency from April 18 to 23 due to disagreeable law and order situation in that seat.

The above three specimens of hate speeches, money power and law & order problems have long been the fault lines of the country’s electoral process and time and again they revisit to vitiate the democratic sanctity.Hate speech and vitriolic language during election campaigns has become the new normal in a poll-bound India. It is really appalling to notice how quickly the political leaders and party representatives, while in front of huge crowds and with microphones in hands, forget that the country is a proven and practiced land of tolerance, diversity and pluralism since centuries. And since it’s the digital age, only seconds are enough to get anything viral and thus the damages inflicted on social ethos are manifold.

Use of cash for bribing voters is one of the most preferred game-plans of many political parties and with Vellore it is the first time that Lok Sabha polls to a constituency have been cancelled over this mala fide act.Method of inducement of voters through notes is always highly organised and for the sake of free & ethical elections, ECI had perhaps no other option. Although law & order situations have vastly improved over the successive election terms, ECI this time too had taken no chances and chalked out a lengthy phase with primary intention of mobilizing appropriate proportion of forces in all constituencies.Treading this line, for Tripura East it has borrowed a 5-day span for restoring the desirable law & order environment.

ECI’s actions may be construed by many as too abrasive. But for the sake of democratic aspirations of a solid 90 crore electorate, it’s the pertinent time to act tough.