While a dominant executive would find it palatable to control the appointment and functioning of the EC, the EC on its part has two significant factors to consider as regards its autonomy. One, its role as the beating heart of the world’s largest democracy, which gives it a preeminent position (and precedent) in a global context. The other, its role among the most powerful institutions in the republic of India, alongside the Supreme Court. (The [in]actions of the EC are, of course, subject to judicial review by the court.) In both settings, the EC enjoys a uniquely important position, and thereby a responsibility, to deliver with sheer independence and fairness. Instead, a recent press conference by the EC found the CEC singling out the Leader of the Opposition with a demand for affidavits to justify his allegations of ‘vote chori’. The tone and language of this conference could behove a lay political rival, not a constitutional powerhouse that the EC is expected to be. In the years to come, the conduct of the EC will define our democratic credibility and commitment to constitutionalism.