The legacy of violence during elections in Bengal will count as one such. The blame must lie with the leaders of both parties who have, in nearly every poll, kept the pot simmering with threats, insults and inflammatory remarks. Elections, one of the hallmarks of democracy, have often been reduced to a turf war, especially in Bengal’s villages. Preventing citizens from voting for their preferred party erodes the principle of choice integral to the idea of a functioning democracy. But the health of the democracy has seldom been a foremost concern for those who are responsible for its flowering.

Source: The Telegraph May 14, 2019 03:50 UTC