It has been a rambunctious election over seven phases, amidst searing heat, campaign noise, dust and, of course, controversy. And the day of reckoning is here for the political parties. Amidst the cynicism in the air these days, it is important to remember a basic fact — it is no mean feat for a nation to have conducted without any major disruption (except for a murder in West Bengal), an election in which about 64 crore people (out of a voter population of 96 crore) exercised their franchise. To put this organisational effort in perspective, the US as the second largest democracy has 24 crore electors, of which less than 16 crore exercised their franchise in the 2020 presidential polls.

The much-pilloried Election Commission (EC), according to its pre-election March statement, has “mobilised election machinery of more than 12 million officials” to manage a system that begins from revising electoral rolls and includes running 10.48 lakh polling stations, about 18 lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) and making security arrangements at every stage. Voters’ enthusiasm was on full display across the country. Analysing poll data over six phases, SBI Research points out that 92 per cent of 486 constituencies registered either an increase in absolute number of voters over 2019 or status quo, while in 250 constituencies the increase was over 50,000. Women have accounted for over half the absolute rise in number of votes cast, which is in the region of 3.5 crore. An outstanding feature has been voter participation in Jammu and Kashmir valley and Naxal-hit regions of Chhattisgarh (Surguja and Bastar). The turnout in J&K at 58.58 per cent is the highest in 35 years, and the 51.05 per cent turnout in the Valley alone is 30 percentage points more than in the 2019 elections to three constituencies. This marks an assertion of people’s faith in democracy over extremism. Voter participation and orderly polls in India make it an outlier in comparison with other developing countries.

This faith must be protected by setting high standards of transparency and accountability, while at the same time not entertaining conspiracy theorists who undermine faith in the system by imagining foulplay at every nook and corner. The EC stumbled by delaying the release of voting data in absolute numbers for the initial phases, but made amends later. It could have avoided making dilatory arguments in the Supreme Court before doing so. The enforcement of the Model Conduct of Conduct has probably been a trifle lax. But it should satisfy the sceptics that the apex court has introduced a couple of crucial checks and balances in the EVM system to enhance its robustness. Today’s counting should ideally proceed without any controversy. The verdict should be accepted with grace and respect by all parties, as has always been the case so far.

Going forward, the EC could consider reducing the duration of the general elections, especially if they are to be conducted in summer. It is gruelling for its own staff, and stalls routine government functioning for too long.

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