Key Points
It is unrealistic to expect the election regulator to step in at every bend and measure decibels in each call made by solicitors of votes, applying the decades old Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which primarily functions as a moral code..
Deviance in campaign behaviour extended to social media that saw a surge in fake news, many relating to political personalities, several with communal overtones, manufacturing hate, drawing upon non-existent poll surveys and opinion polls..
This brings up a legitimate concern that backed by the capacity of artificial intelligence (AI), fake news and deep fakes could emerge as the ultimate vitiator of upcoming polls, especially of the 2024 national elections..
Poll hijackers and profiteers combined with those who have evil designs against India's electoral democracy may get active in this game during what can easily be billed as the world's largest event.. Election managers had to fight muscle power, natural calamities, extremist violence, and more recently covid pandemic to deliver elections each time on time, yielding them admiration both at home and abroad..
Hopefully, with engagement of technology, there will be efficient and decentralised alert systems to quickly identify and remedy fake news in elections, especially in the core areas of operations and management. Election campaigns however are social junctions, where conversations are set up and narratives are offered..
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