Can undemocratic parties serve a democratic nation?

Suhas Palshikar (‘By the ballot alone’, IE, August 6) presented an elegant case against internal democracy in political parties. How persuasive, though, was it? Professor Palshikar reminded us about the Congress’s attempt to elect its leader by an internal vote in 1966 and its aftermath, a “deep and long-running factional fight within the party leading to a split in 1969.” Lack of democratic spirit was in evidence as far back as 1939, when the elected president of the party, Subhas Bose, was expelled.

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