Mass politics and institutional restraint: Political parties and the election commission of India

Abstract

This article looks at the working of institutional relationships in Indian politics. It explores the interaction between Indian political parties and the Election Commission of India to highlight the dynamics of political praxis and institutional restraint, and while doing so endorses the view that institutional regulation is a vital part of a free and fair democratic exercise. It also argues that the institutional ‘logic of appropriateness’ is being transformed at a time of greater participation in political competition in India: the number of candidates contesting the polls has grown phenomenally, as has the number of people coming out to vote. In this context, regulation and restraint have assumed an importance essential for responsible political practice and the institutionalization of the multiparty system itself.