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. Over the last few years, our debates have revolved around the rock-bottom issue of electoral integrity — polling and counting irregularities.

It is not that allegations of polling and counting irregularities were unheard of in the past. Yet these were scandals, noticed and debated precisely because they were exceptions. Indian elections were held up as a model of feasible electoral democracy in post-colonial countries as almost all the elections passed a minimum threshold of integrity. In the last instance, electoral outcomes reflected popular will. There are just a handful of exceptions to this rule — assembly elections in Punjab in 1992, J&K in 1987, Assam in 1983 and West Bengal in 1972. You could add some more elections in J&K and Nagaland to........

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