If the Assembly polls in Bihar, which returned the Nitish Kumar government to power by a landslide, seemed far more civilised and richer in democratic spirits than all past elections in the state, the biggest credits go to the Election Commission of India (EC), say both political observers and ordinary citizens.
Behind the largely incident-free and peaceful Assembly polls stretched over a month in six phases was the EC’s meticulous planning and constant monitoring right since the announcement of the polls up to the end of the counting. It was the EC’s proactive vigil that brought down the use of money and muscle power, ensured greater compliance with the model code of conduct and increased voter turnout.
The February 2005 elections witnessed 274 incidents of clashes that led to 82 people getting injured and 25 dying, and the November 2005 Assembly elections saw 56 incidents, in which 11 were injured and four died. As many as 56 people were injured and eight died in 69 incidents during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. In stark contrast, the 2010 Assembly polls saw only 25 minor incidents in which 18 people got injured.