To Fight in the Arena, However Imperfect, Is the Only Way to Strengthen Democracy

09 Oct 2026

Tags: Polity & Constitution   Electoral System   Key electoral mechanisms

Source: The Indian Express

Context: Recent controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI) and allegations of procedural irregularities has triggered debate over whether opposition parties should continue participating in elections when they believe democratic safeguards have been compromised.

• Critics argue that participation can provide legitimacy to an electoral system they consider increasingly unfair, while the article argues that electoral participation and contestation remain essential tools for protecting democracy.

Why Election Boycott Is Not the Answer

• Advocates of an electoral boycott argue that withdrawing from elections can deny the ruling party the democratic legitimacy of an allegedly compromised process; the article, however, views boycott as political withdrawal rather than an effective defence of democratic institutions.
• Electoral participation does not necessarily mean accepting institutional flaws; it provides an opportunity to challenge those flaws from within the democratic system and hold those exercising power accountable.
• In a constitutional democracy, abandoning elections can leave political power uncontested and give the governing party greater control over the institutions through which authority is exercised.

Historical Perspective: Why Boycotts Have Limitations

• The Indian freedom struggle is sometimes cited in support of electoral boycotts, but the article argues that the colonial context was fundamentally different from a sovereign constitutional democracy.
• Gandhi's non-cooperation and boycott strategies were directed against British colonial rule, where Indians lacked genuine political equality and sovereignty; they were therefore instruments of an anti-colonial struggle rather than a model directly applicable to contemporary democratic elections.
• The Indian National Congress itself recognised the limitations of permanent electoral withdrawal: while it boycotted elections under certain colonial arrangements, it later participated in elections following the Government of India Act, 1935, demonstrating the strategic value of entering available political institutions.

Elections as Instruments of Democratic Contestation

• Even under imperfect conditions, elections provide opposition parties with a platform to raise public issues, expose executive overreach, present alternative policies and challenge the ruling party.
• Election campaigns also provide opportunities to communicate directly with citizens and mobilise voters dissatisfied with the government, thereby converting public discontent into an organised democratic mandate.
• Participating in elections does not imply unconditional acceptance of institutional shortcomings; rather, it allows political actors to contest, challenge and seek reform of those institutions.

Elections as Platforms for Public Mobilisation

• Political parties are dynamic organisations whose strength depends on public engagement, cadre mobilisation, leadership and organisational networks; prolonged withdrawal from elections can weaken these foundations.
• Campaigning allows parties to identify grievances, organise supporters, maintain political visibility and develop alternative policy programmes.
• If a political party retreats from electoral contests, it risks becoming increasingly disconnected from the electorate and the political field it seeks to influence.

Electoral Participation and Civic Education

• Elections serve not only to choose governments but also as a mechanism of public mobilisation and civic education, enabling citizens to engage with competing political ideas and policy alternatives.
• Election campaigns provide a regular forum for discussing governance failures, public policy and executive accountability.
• Participation therefore enables opposition parties to shape public discourse even when the institutional environment is imperfect.

Participation Can Create Opportunities for Institutional Change

• The article argues that electoral participation can gradually weaken entrenched political dominance by creating opportunities for public mobilisation, internal political divisions and institutional resistance.
• Even where opposition parties initially face disadvantages, sustained electoral competition can preserve organisational networks and create opportunities for political renewal.
• Historical examples suggest that authoritarian or illiberal tendencies can be challenged through persistent political organisation, electoral competition and institutional resistance, rather than voluntary political withdrawal.

Democratic Accountability vs. Institutional Perfection

• Democracy does not require every institution to function perfectly before citizens participate; rather, accountability mechanisms must operate continuously within the system.
• Elections provide one of the principal mechanisms through which citizens can reward, punish or replace political representatives.

The Hungarian Example

• The article cites Hungary to illustrate how sustained electoral participation can provide an avenue for challenging entrenched political dominance.
• Despite operating under Viktor Orbán's government, the Hungarian opposition contested elections, exposed perceived failures of the regime and mobilised voters, eventually achieving a significant electoral breakthrough.
• The broader lesson presented is that illiberal political systems can potentially be challenged through competitive endurance and sustained opposition mobilisation, rather than voluntary abandonment of elections.

Constitutional and Democratic Principles

• India’s constitutional system is based on representative democracy, in which citizens exercise political power primarily through elected representatives.
• Electoral participation therefore remains central to maintaining the relationship between citizens, political parties and constitutional institutions.
• At the same time, participation should be accompanied by demands for institutional transparency, electoral integrity and accountability, rather than blind acceptance of institutional shortcomings.

Way Forward

• Opposition parties should use elections as a platform to raise critical issues, scrutinise executive action, offer alternative policy visions and mobilise citizens, while simultaneously pursuing institutional reforms.
• Electoral participation should be complemented by sustained efforts for electoral transparency, institutional accountability and protection of democratic safeguards.
• The article's central argument is that democracy is strengthened not by withdrawing from imperfect democratic institutions, but by continuously contesting, scrutinising and improving them.
• As the article concludes, abandoning electoral contests may effectively surrender the political arena to those whose actions are being challenged; persistent democratic participation provides greater scope to demand and achieve institutional reform.