The general election, with only the first round over, poses a challenge to Narendra Modi. He promised the twin attractions of a Hindu Rashtra for his people smarting under the Nehruvian secularism, and Achhe Din (good times), through employment for the aspiring youth, relief to farmers who had been crushed under backbreaking and spirit-sapping debt ever since liberalization first began twenty-five years ago under PV Narasimha Rao, and rapid development that would allow industrial giants to realize their full potential.

The Modi years may well be remembered just for four things – demonetization that traumatised the poorest as much as it did the middle classes, the bovine laws that killed scores at the hands of Hindutva lynch mobs and jeopardized agrarian economy already reeling under farmers suicides, a chilling targeted hate campaign that has polarized the country and incited violence, and finally, entirely alienating Dalits and Tribals by trying to withdraw laws that protected their lives and their homes.

The suicide bombing of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Kashmir by a terrorist killing 41 troopers shocked and outraged the country. They had been led to believe that the macho and muscular Modi’s political doctrine backed by the military were in absolute control in Kashmir. The pellet guns, the infamous tying of a civilian to a jeep by a young major, and the elimination of major commanders of sundry terror groups were supposed to have taught handlers in Pakistan a lesson.

The Indian general elections to constitute the 17^th Lok Sabha are being held in seven phases, from April 11 to May 19. The Election Commission of India, which is conducting the election, is however facing serious criticism after allegations surfaced about the august body not taking appropriate action against repeated violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many members of his party.

It is not just the opposition parties and civil society groups who have been complaining about this, 66 Armed Forces veterans have written to the President of India expressing their serious concern about the Commission’s independence and credibility. It’s disheartening that the Election Commission of India, which has for decades been lauded internationally for conducting elections justly and smoothly in such a vast country like India, is facing severe criticism on its home turf now.

Amidst the Congress comeback in India’s Hindi heartland and myriad analyses surrounding it, the results from its last bastion in the Northeast seems to have largely escaped attention. With the Congress loss in Mizoram, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fulfilled its oft-repeated goal of a “Congress-Mukt Northeast”. Although the BJP’s gains are incremental in the state, it opened its account with a solitary win to register close to eight percent vote share in the overwhelmingly Christian-majority state.

Congress won merely 5 seats, a loss of 29 seats from 2013. But the party would take heart in the fact that its vote share hasn’t fallen proportionately. The Mizoram National Front (MNF) led by rebel leader Zoramthanga was back in power in the state riding on the anti-incumbency wave. A third force—Zoram people’s Movement (ZPM)—has also emerged in the election in the bipolar polity of Mizoram. The ZPM, formed barely a year before the elections, had their candidates contesting as independents winning 8 seats and coming second in another 9 seats to make a huge impact on the elections—with a vote share of 23%.