Nearly a billion Indians will vote to elect a new government in a month-and-a-half-long election starting on Apr 19, the largest democratic exercise in the world.
India’s democratic credentials have come under scrutiny, with critics accusing the government of politicising the justice system.
India’s main financial investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate, has launched probes into at least five state chief ministers or their families, all belonging to the BJP’s political opponents.
Rahul Gandhi criticised “institutions which are supposed to protect the framework of democracy” for not speaking up, singling out the Election Commission for not intervening.
“There is no democracy in India today,” he alleged.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, 81, said the lack of funds had made it “helpless” ahead of the elections.
“There is no level playing field,” said Kharge.
According to the latest official financial disclosures to the Election Commission, BJP funds are nearly 10 times that of Congress.
The gulf dramatically widened after Modi’s government introduced contentious electoral bonds in 2017, allowing unlimited anonymous donations.
Last month, the Supreme Court outlawed the scheme as unconstitutional and asked for donor and receiver details to be made public.
Released details showed BJP was by far the single-largest beneficiary, with just under half of all donations, totalling around US$730 million.
Source: CNA
