BJP’s Rigged Democracy: How India’s Ruling Party Steals Elections While the Opposition Watches

 

BJP’s Rigged Democracy: How India’s Ruling Party Steals Elections While the Opposition Watches

In a moment of rare assertiveness, the Leader of the Opposition recently stood up in Parliament and raised the issue of election fraud, forcing the ruling party to at least acknowledge the growing concerns over manipulated voter data and rigged elections. After sustained pressure, the Election Commission of India reluctantly announced changes to the voter registration process, claiming these reforms would bring more transparency.

But does anyone truly believe the Election Commission suddenly developed a sense of fairness? The BJP-controlled system does not correct itself; it simply finds new ways to disguise its manipulation. These "reforms" could just as easily be another layer of deception, creating an illusion of integrity while ensuring that the backdoor mechanisms of election fraud remain intact. The only real question is what kind of rigging strategy is being cooked up in private meetings as the opposition celebrates this supposed victory.

And yet, here is the opposition, acting as if these small procedural tweaks are a major breakthrough for democracy. It is almost painful to watch them take credit for forcing minimal changes while ignoring the fact that the BJP has already perfected the art of election theft. The evidence has been right in front of them for years, and yet they continue to miss opportunity after opportunity.

The Chandigarh Mayor election was a blatant example of electoral fraud. The votes were openly tampered with to secure a BJP victory. The Supreme Court had to step in, expose the fraud, and reinstate the actual winner from the Aam Aadmi Party. That should have been the moment when the opposition went all out. The vote counter who manipulated the results should have been arrested and interrogated, the case should have been dragged through every legal and political avenue, and the mastermind behind the operation should have been exposed.

But what did the opposition do? Nothing. They treated it like just another news cycle, let the guilty walk away, and moved on. If they cannot even capitalize on a proven case of election fraud, how do they expect to challenge the far more complex and sophisticated rigging happening in state and national elections?

The case of former Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar is yet another example of their failure. He presided over multiple elections where the BJP won under highly suspicious circumstances, from national elections to state polls in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Yet, instead of calling for his prosecution or an independent inquiry, the opposition let him slip away, allowing the ruling party to strengthen its grip over the electoral machinery even further.

Then there was the complete mockery of democracy in the Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. Reports of voter suppression, violence, and blatant manipulation flooded in. If the opposition had any real strategy, they would have used this case to demand fresh elections in at least three states where BJP victories were suspicious. But, as always, they let another golden opportunity pass.

If the goal of the party in power is to rig the system so much that the public no longer believes in any system, knowing that it has been rigged, then the BJP is doing a wonderful job. They have successfully dismantled the idea of free and fair elections, replacing it with a system where people participate in the illusion of democracy while knowing full well that the outcome has been pre-decided. And while their supporters may cheer now, they will one day regret their blind faith. When their own children and grandchildren grow up in a country where elections are meaningless, where leaders are chosen by an elite cabal rather than by the people, they will be left to answer for their stupidity. They will be forced to explain why they allowed corruption to destroy one of the world’s largest and most successful democracies.

The reality is that simply pointing out BJP’s corruption is not a strategy. The opposition needs to do more than just talk. They must pick key cases where fraud has already been exposed and hammer them relentlessly. These cases must be kept alive in public discourse, pushed through every legal and political channel, and made a central issue in rallies and campaigns. The BJP must not be allowed to walk away from these crimes without consequences.

Instead, the opposition seems content to issue press statements and hold a few panel discussions, as if that will be enough to counter a government that has systematically taken over every democratic institution. While they wait for justice to miraculously appear, the BJP continues to tighten its control over the electoral process, the media, and the judiciary.

India is now functioning under an undeclared Emergency. The institutions that were once meant to safeguard democracy have been reduced to tools for consolidating power. The President of India, once a respected constitutional authority, has been turned into a mere puppet, following a script dictated by the ruling party leadership. The judiciary, once considered the last line of defense, is increasingly seen as compromised, with key verdicts aligning suspiciously well with the interests of those in power.

The recent retirement of one of the most controversial Chief Justices should have been an opportunity to restore faith in the judiciary, but instead, it has only reinforced the public’s growing doubt over whether justice is still possible in a system where money and political influence decide outcomes.

The opposition still has a chance to fight back, but it must abandon its passive approach. They have the evidence, the public sentiment, and the legal grounds to challenge the ruling party on election fraud. But that requires real action, not just press conferences and Twitter outrage. If they continue to treat election theft as just another political inconvenience, they may as well accept their fate as permanent spectators in a rigged democracy.