India’s grand electoral spectacle, with over a billion people voting in scorching heat, has been marked by high-pitched campaigns, big poll promises, controversies, and coalitions. But there have also been instances of voter suppression, the use of communal and divisive rhetoric, and intimidation for withdrawal of nominations from hot seats.

In this special episode of Let’s Talk About, host Abhinandan Sekhri speaks to SY Quraishi, former chief election commissioner of India, about the election commission’s powers and limitations, misconduct during polls, delays in the release of voter data, EVMs and the underbelly of Indian polls. 

Quraishi, who has also authored India’s Experiment With Democracy and An Undocumented Wonder: The Great Indian Election, threw light on the scale of the elections and said that while the ECI only has the moral authority to caution and reprimand under the Model Code of Conduct, it has “immense powers” under Article 324 of the constitution.