BOTH AT FAULT

The Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls are a black spot on the great Indian democracy. Both the BJP and the Congress nakedly exhibited their money and muscle power. As rightly pointed in your editorial (Sordid Games, Aug. 9), the Election Commission should hold the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls afresh and save democracy. Manik Sathe Hyderabad The editorial is absolutely true and correct. Being being one of the largest democracies, it was shameful the way elections were conducted. The Election Commission has a tough job ahead with the growing trend of violence, corruption, criminal cases during elections. V. Padmanabhan

Secunderabad This election process is a glaring example of how elections are being manipulated by the BJP. In spite of their dirty tricks BJP could not stop the Congress from winning. The two rebel Congress MLAs deserve severe punishment of lifetime ban from contesting elections. Imtiaz Ali Khan

Hyderabad At last, the BJP was outsmarted in the RS polls. The BJP was voted to power for clean governance which had otherwise suffered under the Congress. Unfortunately, the BJP is found pursuing the same old dubious means of Congress even more vigorously. Kudos to Mr Ahmed Patel for saving the Congress from another election debacle. A secular nation like India needs a party like the Congress. The need of the hour is that all the opposition parties should come together to fight the BJP. A change of leadership is inevitable in Congress.