Opinion: 2019 Election Was One-Sided, "Manipulation" Wouldn't Help

A research paper by Sabyasachi Das from Ashoka University titled "Democratic Backsliding in the World's Largest Democracy" suggests that there was manipulation of results in some seats by the ruling BJP, which led to the party winning a disproportionately higher share of closely-contested constituencies in the 2019 general election.

The report has created a political furore, with the BJP and the opposition firing guns at each other. Such a paper just before the 2024 Lok Sabha election has raised many eyebrows, as the Election Commission is known globally for its process and in India for its free and fair elections.

The paper has been picked up by the opposition to create a perception that: