Free, fair and regular elections are the best indicator to judge the strengths of a democracy or institutions that are mandated to run on democratic lines.In India, it is election time as the nation is getting ready to elect its 18th Parliament and a new government for the next five years.
Every election is unique as a number of factors never witnessed before become the dominating features. The 2024 general elections have already been hawking media headlines for various actions that have been initiated by agencies that work under the direct or indirect control of the Union government.
Just weeks before the elections were announced, one of its Election Commissioners, Arun Goel, quit quoting personal reasons. His appointment as Election Commissioner within hours of his resignation from the elite Indian Administrative Service had stirred a hornets nest. Even the Apex Court had taken cognizance of the hurry in which appointment was made. Though Arun Goel has outstanding track record and the controversy settled down, he quit to surprise everyone. Anyways, the Government two new Election Commissioners, including Dr S S Sandhu, to complete the three-member Commission.
After Election Commission controversy came the controversial arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by Enforcement Directorate in the 2021 Excise Policy case. It is for the first time in the history of independent India that a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested in a corruption case and continues to be denied bail. He has refused to resign. Instead he and his party want him to continue as CM from prison.
These significant developments apart, there are defections that had overtaken all past records and the ruling BJP party has been the major gainer. Of 13 Punjab MPs in total three from Congress have changed loyalties and joined BJP. And more cannot be ruled out. After all, they say, all is fair in love and war.
While the country is heading for one of its fiercest elections, ChandigarhтАЩs Press Club, one of the best not only in India but perhaps in South Asia, is too heading for its annual election that is traditionally held on the last Sunday of March. Though Media may be fighting for its role as fourth estate and supremacy in the area of dissemination of credible information, its membership has grown manifold. From 120-odd members in 1980s, it has now more than 800 regular voting members.
It is social media channels that have been used to the maximum for campaigns in the Club elections. It is no different in the case of general elections as all major parties and candidates have strong social media teams operational to reach out their electors. And elections 2024 will cover a massive electoral college touching last 1000 million mark.
(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group, covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows.)
