New Delhi, P. Chidambaram, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, has voiced serious concerns about India’s trajectory towards becoming an “electoral autocracy,” stressing the urgent need for corrective action in the upcoming elections to preserve democratic integrity.

According to Kashmir Media Service, during an interview with The Wire, Chidambaram criticized the Election Commission’s role in ensuring free and fair elections and highlighted a prevailing atmosphere of fear under the current administration. He pointed out the aggressive actions taken against opposition leaders, including imprisonments and denials of bail, which he believes are strategically timed to impact electoral outcomes unfavorably.

Chidambaram further noted the misuse of government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department, alleging that these bodies are particularly overactive in constituencies with strong opposition candidates. He expressed concern that complaints against electoral misconduct by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates are often overlooked or dismissed.

“If democracy is not preserved in this election, the next will only appear free and fair, but in reality, it will mark a shift towards undemocratic practices,” Chidambaram warned, drawing parallels with other nations that have experienced similar declines in democratic processes.

Addressing the broader climate of suppression, Chidambaram remarked on the fear pervasive among the populace, suggesting that it hinders the Congress and others from freely expressing dissent against the BJP’s authoritarian tendencies. He called on the public to vocally oppose these practices.

Highlighting the economic challenges under Prime Minister Modi’s administration, Chidambaram pointed to rising prices and unemployment as defining features of the BJP’s decade in power.