Kamal enters (and blooms)
Ah, Bihar in mid-summer — not exactly a holiday destination, unless it is the election season. While the rest of the country was trying to keep cool, the Election Commission of India (ECI) found itself in the eye of a different kind of storm: the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state's voter rolls.
On the surface, the ECI was silent — stoically non-reactive as opposition parties went full megaphone, accusing it of voter suppression, particularly of the marginalised. Top national and state leaders openly questioned the Commission's credibility, suggesting it was conveniently trimming the electoral rolls with a not-so-invisible hand.
However, behind the scenes, the story was quite different. In a move that can only be described as 'institutionally enigmatic,' the Commission opted for off-the-record media briefings, invoking what officials casually referred to as 'The Vegas Rule'. It means, 'We'll talk, but no quoting, please.' Borrowed from the glitzy world of Las Vegas (and perhaps a few spy thrillers), the rule was intended to create a 'safe and trusting' environment.
Or so they said. What happened, of course, stayed behind closed doors. In those unrecorded briefings, ECI officials elaborated at length on the legal and constitutional basis for the SIR, repeatedly asserting that their only aim was to ensure that only Indian citizens were on the electoral rolls. Which is entirely fair — assuming the implementation doesn't quietly shave away inconvenient voters. Alas, with no quotes and no recordings, we're left with little more than shadows and well-dressed speculation.
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