Democracy abjures secrecy: Electoral bonds go to the heart of democracy

The SC's reluctance or inability to hear the challenge to electoral bonds means that the 2019 elections are being fought on dubious funds, write Sanjay Hegde and Pranjal Kishore.

The movie ‘An Insignificant Man’ captures the Aam Aadmi Party’s road to forming the government in Delhi. In one of the scenes, Arvind Kejriwal is shown on the campaign trail. “Humare paas toh power hi nahin hain”(We have no power), he laments. One of the women in the crowd responds – “Hum denge na aapko power” (we will give you power). The exchange captures the very essence of a democratic system—one in which a common citizen can look into the eyes of a chief ministerial candidate and tell him, that his fate depends on her vote. 

Indian elections are the