India, Oct. 6 -- Amid a storm of allegations, counterclaims, and political drama, India's electoral system finds itself under intense scrutiny. The recent controversy surrounding alleged voter roll manipulation has exposed potential cracks in the foundation of India's electoral democracy-raising questions not just about technical safeguards, but about trust in the Election Commission itself.

It began when opposition leaders accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of facilitating or ignoring attempts to delete thousands of voter names. The slogan "vote theft" quickly became a central rallying cry for the Opposition, sparking a wider debate about electoral fairness.

Although the ECI has dismissed the accusations as baseless, demand...