The social contract between the government and citizens rests on trust. The government is expected to work for citizens’ welfare, deliver justice and protect rights. The right to vote is the most fundamental and sacred in a democracy. Failure to deliver on the promises and bad governance erode trust. But trust disappears altogether if the vote is snatched or manipulated. Lack of trust means the social contract has lapsed.Any government running without public trust lacks legitimacy. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is absolutely right in saying that India has entered a new place because the Election Commission was never caught manipulating and stealing votes to ensure the government’s victory. It’s a bizarre phenomenon that independent India hasn’t seen. While the opposition parties were fighting against the Election Commission’s (EC) misdeeds for the last few years, and a large section of voters nurtured deep suspicions about the integrity of the electoral processes, revelations about serious internal disapproval completely delegitimised the conduct of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. What’s more distressing is that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Narendra Modi government firmly stand behind the discredited CEC, establishing that the rot in the system is not about a bad apple; it’s a horrendous case of bad barrels culture. While the Supreme Court failed to understand that the intent of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is not to cleanse the electoral rolls despite tell-tale evidence of wrong-doing and a stubborn resistance from the opposition parties and activists, the government passionately backed the EC throughout the politico-legal battle.In both Bihar and West Bengal, the agonising experience of excluded voters was disrespected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah by describing the exercise as a crusade against “ghuspaithiyas” (infiltrators). Names of over 13 crore existing voters have been struck off the list and the Union government is wallowing in the ghuspaithiya mud. Not a word of sympathy or assurance of justice has come from Modi and Shah. To rub salt on the wounds, BJP spokespersons ridiculed the reports of opposition from within the EC and defended Kumar who has clearly acted in violation of the law, overruling the majority opinion of two Election Commissioners.So far, the prime minister and the home minister have provided political and psychological validation to Kumar’s transgressions. Does that mean they are hell-bent on normalising institutional misconduct and unethical practices? Democracy is automatically destroyed if the electoral processes are vitiated. It’s a hopeless situation because the opposition parties are screaming for protection of democracy from the assault by the CEC. Where have we reached in the quest for Amrit Kaal? Why should the spectre of an evil state haunt citizens living in a constitutional democracy? The criminal domain was restricted to the likes of Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Sayeed, Masood Azhar, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Let’s pray that space is not filled by politicians, ministers, bureaucrats, judges and journalists.Rahul Gandhi vindicatedGreat leaders have the ability to see beyond the smokescreen of deception and identify the cause of a problem. When experts, real and pretenders, were dwelling on fake and superficial reasons for Modi’s victory in 2019, Rahul Gandhi emphatically questioned the fairness of elections and explained how a sinister threat to democracy which could be as terrifying as rendering the electoral processes as mere ritual was afoot. In his resignation letter as the Congress president, he wrote, “We didn’t fight a political party. Rather, we fought the entire machinery of the Indian state, every institution of which was marshalled against the Opposition. It is now crystal clear that our once cherished institutional neutrality no longer exists in India. The stated objective of the RSS, the capture of our country’s institutional structure, is now complete. Our democracy has been fundamentally weakened. There is a real danger that from now on, elections will go from being a determinant of India’s future to a mere ritual.” Unexpected results in assembly elections later deepened his suspicions and compelled him to examine the voters’ list and the opaque functioning of the EC. He came up with astonishing findings from two Karnataka assembly constituencies – Mahadevapura and Aland, completely exposing the sinister game of targeted deletions and fraudulent additions. He insisted that the entire operation was being done through a centralised system and alleged that the EC was creating hurdles in further investigation. Instead of offering assistance to unearth the truth, Kumar threatened him and demanded an affidavit on the complaints. The Modi Government and the BJP chose to ridicule him, dismissing his “farzi press conferences” as an assault on institutions. Gandhi had said at his press conference, “Please understand, I am not going to say anything on this stage that is not backed up by 100 per cent proof. I am somebody who loves my country. I love my Constitution. I love the democratic process and I am protecting that process. We are presenting criminality before you. Our job is to present the truth to you, and we are. There are other institutions in India, not just the Election Commission, but the legal system. They should also look into these matters.” A huge national tragedy unfolded after that as the Supreme Court, the Union government and the mainstream media chose to abdicate their responsibilities. Gandhi followed it up, showing how the electoral process was vitiated in Haryana and Maharashtra as well. He organised a public meeting at the Ramlila grounds in December 2025 on the issue of “vote-chori” and took out a yatra in Bihar, drawing huge public response, which in normal circumstances, should have jolted the country, including the judiciary, the Election Commission and the government. But nothing moved and even some opposition parties and Congress leaders appeared reluctant to support Rahul’s crusade. A group of 272 former bureaucrats, defence officials, judges, police officers and fake activists emerged to write a letter attacking Gandhi for what they described as a serious threat to democracy by “a rising tide of venomous rhetoric directed toward its foundational institutions”. Though Gandhi’s struggle to draw national attention to subversion of democracy didn’t trigger a revolt, he had awakened the people who began to suspect the integrity of the electoral process. The photograph of the Brazilian model he spotted in Haryana’s voters’ list compelled the entire nation to pour contempt upon the corrupt system. Thanks to the exposé by an intrepid Indian Express journalist Ritika Chopra, the sleeping “vote-chori” monster returned to the national discourse, jolting the nation out of an inertia that could have killed democracy in India. Voices of dissentWhen the nation has spoken with gravest anxiety about the EC’s illegal acts, not a whisper has come from the prime minister and the home minister. One hopes these so-called powerful leaders are listening to the voices coming from different quarters. A random compilation of critical views should help them gauge the level of unease and angst on the streets across the country about the fate of India’s democracy.Former BJP leader, Cabinet minister and joint opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha said: “Itna sadiyal Chief Election Commissioner kabhi nahin dekha (Never saw such a rotten CEC). He is behaving as if the law of the land can’t cause any harm to him. Now I have no faith in the Supreme Court either; they too are behaving like a sarkari department.Calling Gyanesh Kumar “chor” and “deshdrohi”, Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra said, “He is not going to get away. Modi-Shah are not going to get away. Elections are being stolen. Crores of people are being disenfranchised by one rogue CEC aided by this government. The country will not accept this anymore. When told that they had not taken permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, student leader Neha Bora said, “Did they take permission from us before deleting our votes? Did the CEC take permission from us before violating rules and overruling the two other Election Commissioners? Did they take permission to compromise democracy in the country?Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said, “Very arbitrarily, the three-member commission was turned into a one-man commission. All arbitrary decisions taken should be declared null and void.” Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa said, “Gyanesh Kumar has clearly overruled the majority opinion of two other Election Commissioners. Every file, every objection and the response to the objections should be examined. What happened is very serious; the CEC’s actions against the majority opinion are illegal and unauthorized.Activist Yogendra Yadav said, “Election Commission’s working – unconstitutional + illegal. Gyanesh Kumar ke paap ka ghada bhar gaya hai.”Modi supporter YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded restoration of public trust in institutions like the EC, protection of citizens’ rights and restoration of the process ordered by the Supreme Court for appointment of Election Commissioners. Ironically, Reddy’s party had supported the Modi government’s Bill to overturn the Supreme Court’s order on appointments. Even allies Telegu Desam Party and Lok Janshakti Party have demanded clarification from the commission. Can you see the change, Mr Modi?Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.