The Calcutta High Court has issued a stern rebuke to the Election Commission (EC) for its “gross failure” to act on complaints against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding defamatory advertisements targeting the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The court's condemnation centres on the BJP's alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
In a democracy, the sanctity of electoral processes is the bedrock upon which the edifice of governance stands. The EC, by its statutory mandate, is the custodian of this sanctity, tasked with the colossal responsibility of conducting elections with impartiality and integrity. Yet, this recent censure from the Calcutta High Court has cast a long shadow over the EC's nonpartisanship, a development that is both alarming and disheartening.
The Opposition's accusations of the EC's partisanship are not unfounded. Instances where the EC has been perceived as a silent spectator, if not complicit, in the face of the ruling party's transgressions are too glaring to ignore. The Calcutta High Court's order, delivered by Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, is a testament to this troubling trend.