EC’s conduct of Gujarat polls has raised questions

It must not only play the role of neutral umpire, but also be seen as impartial

The neutrality of the Election Commission of India, the flagbearer of impartiality and fair play in elections, has recently been called into question once too often. The Gujarat elections were to be the test of EC's integrity as a neutral umpire because the stakes are so high for the ruling arrangement. The EC had flunked its first test when the Gujarat assembly poll schedule seemed to have favoured the ruling party. But that may have been a matter of perception. What is not a matter of perception are the two different yardsticks for chief campaigners from either side in Gujarat: Congress president Rahul Gandhi earned a notice for an interview a day before polling but PM Modi’s road show after casting his vote slipped under the EC’s radar. Fairness, codified into rules, is central to ensuring legitimacy and stability within a society. Few voters expect balanced information from partisan political campaigns but they do expect the neutral umpire to be seen as enforcing the rules.

Perhaps the structure of the Election Commission needs re-examination. After all, the last major reform — converting the EC into a multi-member body — took place a good 25 years back. It is time to abrogate the ruling party's power to appoint Election Commissioners and entrust the task to a collegium. Elections are the signpost of democracy. The guardian of this signpost must not only be truly impartial, but also seen as truly independent as well.