Rahul Gandhi’s failure to sustain political campaigns against Prime Minister Modi undermines India’s democracy. Explore the “Barking Dog Theory” and why a weak opposition leads to unchecked institutional capture today.
RMN Foundation appeals for international oversight of Indian elections, citing systemic EVM manipulation and institutional capture. This call demands global intervention to restore democratic integrity and ensure free, fair mandates.
Democracy does not die only through coups or emergency declarations. It can also die quietly—through procedures that look lawful, elections that look competitive, and institutions that look independent, while collectively ensuring that outcomes are never meaningfully questioned.
By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | March 27, 2026
India is routinely described as the world’s largest democracy. Yet, beneath the spectacle of record voter turnout, election festivals, and official slogans celebrating democratic participation, a deeper and more troubling reality has taken hold: Indian citizens are increasingly asked to vote without any credible means to verify where their vote ultimately goes.