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From Ashok Lavasa's dissent and the controversial appointment of election commissioners to voter-roll deletions, secretive decisions and the reported revolt within the Election Commission, the story of how India's electoral watchdog has been losing public trust.
Harish Salve's defence of the Election Commission, the constitutional legitimacy of public protest, and the difference between institutional independence and institutional immunity. The central argument of this article is that a democracy does not have to choose between constitutional institutions and public dissent. It needs both. The legal merits of an electoral dispute belong before the courts, but citizens retain the right to organise, question institutions, expose inconsistencies and demand accountability. There is an important evidentiary distinction concerning Mr Salve. His televised remarks and the structure of his arguments can be scrutinised directly. A pattern of selective reasoning can support criticism of his apparent political alignment in this controversy. It does not, by itself, establish a financial inducement, secret arrangement or dishonest personal motive.
Two of the Election Commission’s three members reportedly raised 14 objections in ten months over voter registration, deletions, Form 6, electoral-roll software and decisions taken without their knowledge. The Election Commission says all final decisions were unanimous. The key question is what happened between the internal objection and final approval.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls and the One Nation One Election (ONOE) proposal continue to stir controversy. As of July 13, 2025, with Bihar's SIR exercise nearing its July 25 deadline amid legal challenges, discussions have intensified about a potential nationwide rollout. Critics argue this could enable election delays, citing incomplete processes as a pretext to postpone polls in states nearing their terms and advance them in others. Meanwhile, ONOE faces scrutiny for its handling of contingencies like legislator deaths or coalition breakdowns. Adding a layer of intrigue is the speculative narrative that ONOE could serve as a "rehabilitation" mechanism for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, potentially paving the way for his transition to the presidency amid age-related retirement debates.
