ECI Tells Supreme Court: ‘Caught in the Crossfire of Political Contests

Rapid Summary

• The Election Commission of india (ECI) informed the Supreme Court about its involvement in “sharp contests” among political parties.
• Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing ECI, addressed allegations over EVM tampering and criticisms of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar being portrayed as “citizenship screening.”
• Justice Surya Kant referred to the current political climate as one of “political hostility.”
• Mr. Dwivedi provided historical context on India’s political evolution as Independence, highlighting events like Congress’ dominance under Nehru, party splits in the late 1960s, and changes during coalition governments. He also remarked on Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan’s legacy.
• Dwivedi noted that Bihar petitioners depict it negatively but refuted this with positive historical references while acknowledging prevailing poverty concerns raised by Justice Kant.

Indian Opinion analysis
The Supreme Court dialog highlights ongoing tensions between electoral institutions and political parties amid growing polarization across India’s democratic systems. The perception of bodies like ECI being swayed or questioned underscores a critical challenge: balancing neutrality while navigating increasing scrutiny from all sides. Historical insights shared by Mr.Dwivedi provide outlook on how India’s electoral dynamics have evolved under diffrent circumstances but also illustrate consistent challenges tied to maintaining public trust during politically fraught times.

As discussions around exercises like Bihar’s SIR intensify,implications for policy clarity and governance are meaningful-accurate representation must be paramount to prevent further erosion of institutional credibility or missteps in engaging vulnerable populations living in poverty within states like Bihar.

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