Rigged Rolls and Silent Screens: How BJP’s Power Games Risk a Large-Scale Civil Unrest in India

Rigged Rolls and Silent Screens: How BJP’s Power Games Risk a Large-Scale Civil Unrest in India 

Bihar: BJP trying to remove minorities, poor from voter list, says Congress (Image from National Herald)

As India heads into crucial elections in Bihar, serious concerns are mounting over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) alleged attempts to control voter rolls and suppress opposition turnout. Recent reports suggest that the Election Commission of India (ECI) faced intense pressure after complaints from the opposition alliance, INDIA, which filed a First Information Report (FIR) accusing the ECI of preparing to illegally delete legitimate voters in Bihar through hastily introduced rules. These developments come amid heightened scrutiny of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, citing anomalies in previous elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, has demanded answers from the ECI. Yet the commission has reportedly claimed that data related to EVMs has been “destroyed” and cannot be shared, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability. Critics argue that destroying such critical electoral data is unlawful and undermines democratic norms. Strikingly, India’s mainstream television networks, often dubbed “Godi media” by critics for their pro-government tilt, have almost entirely blacked out coverage of these explosive allegations. Analysts point out that acknowledging these charges could damage the credibility of the ruling party and threaten powerful media owners with business ties to the government.

These electoral controversies are not occurring in isolation. Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has been accused of systematically weakening independent institutions from investigative agencies to universities and consolidating power within a small circle. Political observers note that the prime minister’s governance model increasingly relies on loyalists in the bureaucracy and business community, sidelining dissenting voices and hollowing out checks and balances essential for a healthy democracy. Modi’s supporters argue that strong leadership is needed for economic growth, but critics highlight repeated instances of authoritarian overreach. For example, demands for complex identity documents to verify voter eligibility disproportionately affect marginalized communities, who often lack access to the paperwork required. This effectively disenfranchises the poor while giving bureaucrats wide discretion fertile ground for corruption and coercion. International human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented these tactics in recent reports.

India’s rich literary heritage offers cautionary tales. Ancient epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata warn of how unchecked ego and power can destroy entire kingdoms. Were these timeless stories penned today, they might be recognized globally as masterpieces rivaling any modern epic. Meanwhile, globally, India’s democratic backsliding mirrors trends seen elsewhere. In the United States, media concentration and partisan outlets like Fox News have fueled political polarization, culminating in the rise of Donald Trump whose ascent relied on misinformation and manipulation of public opinion. India’s own rapid privatization of the media sector, without sufficient safeguards against misinformation, has left the country vulnerable to similar dynamics.

India has largely avoided large-scale civil war since independence, but the country has witnessed smaller-scale insurgencies like the Naxalite movement conflicts that were later hijacked by opportunists to serve their own ends. Political scientists warn that when governments erode democratic norms and manipulate electoral processes, they risk provoking unrest on a much larger scale. If large groups of citizens perceive that their fundamental rights are systematically denied, history shows violence can erupt. The BJP’s push to reshape voter rolls through opaque and potentially illegal measures could push India dangerously close to such a tipping point. The stakes could not be higher. As the world’s largest democracy, India’s elections must be free, fair, and transparent to maintain legitimacy. If the current trajectory continues, where elections are marred by missing data, disenfranchised voters, and media silence the consequences could destabilize the country’s social fabric and undermine faith in democratic institutions.

Sources include statements and documents from the Election Commission of India; reports by The Hindu, Scroll, and The Wire on voter roll controversies; Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reports on disenfranchisement risks; and public statements from Rahul Gandhi and INDIA alliance leaders.