Live
- KCR lashes out against BJP and Congress for destroying Telangana
- Dairy Science students visited the Milk cooling plant
- Moody feels Pant ahead in keepers’ race for T20 WC squad; Srikkanth picks Rahul over Samson as reserve keeper
- Thanking voters for extending 'unparalleled support' to NDA, PM Modi says second phase 'too good'
- Natural Relief for Menstrual Cramps: Beetroot Juice Recipe
- Asha Worker died in a road accident
- Akshaya Tritiya 2024 Auspicious Hindu Festival on May 10th
- Celebrating World Veterinary Day 2024: Safeguarding Your Pet’s Vision with Expert Tips
- NSG joins CBI in searching residence of Sheikh Shahjahan’s relative
- Maharashtra: Peeved state unit Congress Working President quits 2024 LS polls campaign
All parties should share blame
The Election Commission’s decision - an equally unprecedented step of invoking the rarely-used Article 324 - to snip the campaign time by 19 hours for nine constituencies in the state
The Election Commission's decision - an equally unprecedented step of invoking the rarely-used Article 324 - to snip the campaign time by 19 hours for nine constituencies in the state that go to polls on Sunday, citing an atmosphere of 'fear and hatred', is likely to add fuel to the simmering political flames.
Safety and security of voters being of prime concern, the EC decision was based on the on-the-spot reports of independent election observers.
All parties should share the blame for the politics of divisiveness and distraction.
But the really disturbing element in this election has been the questionable role of the EC, which, from being perceived as an institution of independence came to be seen as a tool in the hands of the political executive because of a spate of decisions and omissions.
It will take a long while for the institution to recover its credibility.
The 2019 election has, therefore, shown that while democracy is safe, it is not in particularly good health.
S A Jayatheertha, Hyderabad
