Summary
Elections are the foundation of democracy and in India, as the largest democracy in the world, they matter a lot. But in a few years, there were so many manipulation cases that occurred in India. Election manipulation is a dangerous threat to the democratic process in India since it compromises the integrity of the process and reduces people’s’ confidence in the electoral process. Actions such as money laundering, media bias, altering the voter list and playing.
Let’s know the various ways of manipulation of elections in India.
| S.No | Ways |
| 1 | Money in Election |
| 2 | Manipulating Voter Rolls |
| 3 | Media and Misinformation |
| 4 | Election Day: Rigging and EVM Concerns |
| 5 | Communal and Caste Politics |
| 6 | Election Commission as Stakeholder |
Money in Election
Money dominates Indian elections more than anything else.Some of the political parties from financially endowed parts of the country go over the top to influence the electorate spending more than is allowed by law. It means that elections are often fully controlled by parties with greater financial capabilities, and there is little hope for losing competitors or persons who got little money for their campaign.
How it works: Money is used in the form of cash, gifts, food stuff, smartphones, household appliances or even other packages tantamount to the symbol of votes.
Manipulating Voter Rolls
The voter list is one of the most basic and important prerequisites of any free and fair election. However, it is frequently abused to influence matters right from the time of voting.
How it’s done: Vote suppressors might delete the names of opposition or minority supporters while placing illegitimate voter identities or multiple entries for certain political parties.
Media and Misinformation
A lot can be done by the media, especially during times of elections and this is the reasoning that has made many people change their opinions. Sadly, in India, it becomes a tool for exploitation, for every man feels entitled to exert control over a woman’s life in one way or another.
Traditional media: high-circulation news sources and channels are said to be influenced, promoting the government’s successes while concealing its shortcomings.
Social media manipulation: Social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter become fertile ground for fake news and other polarizing content; the IT cells deliberately engage in the creation of such a narrative or manipulate voters.
Election Day: Rigging and EVM Concerns
On the election day, there are incidents such as booth capturing and bogus voting, which affect the credibility of the election.
Hi-tech Electronic voting machines (EVMs) introduced to bring transparency also have controversies on the creditability. Some people believe that they are vulnerable to being manipulated or modified.
Communal and Caste Politics
Another very risky type of vote-buying is mobilizing people in the name of religion and caste. Politicians offer promises that they will improve the conditions for particular categories and form factions according to these characteristics instead of analyzing the essence of problems.
Election Commission as Stakeholder
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for overseeing elections in the country to ensure fairness and neutrality. However, recently, its impartiality has been questioned. The ECI has been accused of ignoring violations, particularly by leaders of the ruling party.
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