We do not know where to look for redressal. The ECI is compromised. 6 min read May 15, 2026 07:17 AM IST First published on: May 15, 2026 at 06:20 AM IST Scientists call it phase transition. They mark it at a point where an object suddenly changes its state on crossing a threshold — water freezing into ice, or boiling into steam, for example. Elections in West Bengal and Assam mark a similar phase transition from doubtful to dubious elections. Now, complaints about electoral irregularity in our system are as old as our elections. But this routine cacophony of disquiet that dominates any functioning democracy elided a fundamental shift in the nature of our unease with the practice of elections. We began by questioning the nature of Westminster-style representative democracy. Then we focussed it down to electoral system design — first-past-the-post or proportional. From here, we slid further into a passionate debate about a yet narrower issue — the nature of candidates and campaigning.…