The mandate for Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party in this year’s general election has been of tidal scale. Yet, there are pockets where the electorate seems to have chosen to swim against the tide. The most notable among these islands floating in a sea of saffron happens to be Odisha where Naveen Patnaik, a veteran of many an electoral battle in the state, managed to retain his turf most convincingly in the assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha elections — both polls were held simultaneously in Odisha — the BJP’s improved tally still fell short of that of the Biju Janata Dal. Mr Patnaik’s charismatic leadership, his welfare schemes and squeaky-clean image helped the BJD confront the formidable challenge posed by the BJP. In the southern part of the country, Andhra Pradesh bucked the trend, delivering decisive mandates for the YSR Congress’s young leader, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in elections to the assembly and Parliament. Kerala, where the BJP had hoped to secure a footing by piggybacking on the Sabarimala controversy, and Punjab — in the north — chose to repose their faith in the Congress that was pulverized in the rest of the country. The election results for the 17th Lok Sabha have also tested hegemonies that are not necessarily political. The number of women parliamentarians is set to rise; up from 62 to 76. The change in number may seem insignificant but it must be acknowledged in a polity where the idea of women’s reservation remains confined to electoral manifestos instead of being implemented by policy. Muslim representation, one of the hallmarks of Indian democracy’s representativeness, has risen nominally too. This, again, is heartening, given the massive endorsement for an allegedly majoritarian rhetoric.

This contrarian constituency — political leaders, social groups as well as ordinary voices — which decided to go against the grain, as it were, is critical to the health of a democratic polity. The ballot is not necessarily the sign of a vibrant democracy. The past and the present are replete with instances of authoritarian leaderships being legitimized through democratic means. The space for dissent, the courage to question an elected government, the voices that remind voters of the widening chasm that separates a nation from its foundational principles — these are elements that keep the flame of democracy burning. Their eradication would snuff out this precious light.