Gujarat aftermath: Election Commissioner calls ‘winning at all costs’ without ethics the ‘new normal’ in politics

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Rawat’s remarks came as an aftermath of the political storm that raged at the time of Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. Congress lost six MLAs in the state to BJP ahead of the August 8 elections, leaving its candidate Ahmed Patel with very little leeway in the final count. The Congress then took its remaining 44 legislators to a luxury resort in Karnataka to prevent any further defections. (All images: PTI)

“Democracy thrives when elections are free, fair and transparent. However, it appears to a cynical common man that we have been scripting a narrative that places maximum premium on winning at all costs — to the exclusion of ethical considerations”