Are we doing Elections right?
Elections, unsurprisingly, are called the festivals of Indian democracy. Close to a billion people are expected to participate in the 2024 general elections, making it the largest democratic exercise in the world. In the 2019 general elections, the total expenditures made by the political parties and the government were estimated at around 60,000 crore rupees (7 billion dollars), making it the costliest election. Besides, elections also supercharge our economy by boosting consumer spending. Conducting elections in India is not an ordinary feat and certainly seemed an improbable task after our independence from the British. Despite its recent criticisms of losing its autonomy, the Election Commission of India has played a stellar role in ensuring that India had a free and fair election since its independence. During its first general elections in 1952, India had a literacy rate close to 20%. Besides teaching people how to vote, most never knew they could have a say on who co...