Electoral System Concerns in India

The article discusses the potential manipulation of India's electoral system, focusing on three key aspects: Delimitation, One Nation, One Election (ONOE), and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. These strategies could significantly impact the democratic landscape in India.

Delimitation

• Delimitation involves reapportioning Lok Sabha seats based on population shares.
• Gerrymandering, or redrawing constituency boundaries to favor any one political party, could be introduced in India, following examples from Assam and J&K.

One Nation, One Election (ONOE)

• Simultaneous elections at national and state levels could give an advantage to the incumbent, amplifying their influence.
• Once-in-five-years elections might enable easier management and manipulation of electoral events by the ruling party.
• This could transform elections into a singular event, reducing democratic participation opportunities.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls

• SIR could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement, with examples like Bihar showing a reduction of 44 lakh names from electoral lists.
• An estimated 5 crore names could be removed nationwide, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities like the poor, migrants, and nomads.
• The strategy could target specific communities.

Global Perspective

• The article positions India's situation within a global trend where authoritarian regimes manipulate electoral rules to maintain power.
• Countries like Hungary, Turkey, Venezuela, and others exhibit "abusive constitutionalism" and "autocratic legalism."
• International IDEA has noted India's decline in democratic indicators, marking it as a case study of "democratic backsliding."