India, April 3 -- The deplorable incident involving seven judicial officers - who were taken hostage inside a government building in central Bengal earlier this week during the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll - underlines the lacunae in the administration's preparation for the sensitive process, the deep politicisation of the poll campaign in a state where political violence is endemic, and the emotions that continue to run high over the controversial deletions of millions of names. All stakeholders must come together to lower the political temperature and tamp down on rhetoric. Calmer heads must prevail.

First, the predicament of the seven judicial officers adjudicating cases of logical discrepancy under the SIR -...