The Bengal result will decide the future of Indian electoral democracy

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In 2021, the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute released a report that for the first time described India, not as a democracy, but as an electoral autocracy. An electoral autocracy, in V-Dem’s definition, is a country where multi-party elections exist – but are flawed. In addition, the state places significant restrictions on freedom of speech and press independence.

Notably, V-Dem held that while the fairness of elections was “hard hit”, it is the diminishing of these liberal aspects of democracy that have gone the “furthest” when it came to turning Modi’s India into an electoral autocracy in its data set.

Five years later, as the state of West Bengal goes to polls, it is clear that Modi’s India has now balanced these two elements: the conduct of elections has also taken a significant hit.

Illogical discrepancies

Just before the elections, the Election Commission of India carried out a special intensive revision in the state. Attempting to verify the existence of each voter, this exercise was massive and conducted at a...

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