On March 15, the Supreme Court is set to consider a plea filed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) seeking to halt the new appointments to the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the recently enacted law.
The ECI is facing two vacancies following the recent resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and the retirement of Anup Chandra. In response, Congress leader Jaya Thakur has also filed a plea urging the court to prevent the Centre from appointing new commissioners under the controversial Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Terms of Office) Act, 2023.
Under this Act, the traditional selection panel, which included the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was replaced by one including a cabinet minister nominated by the PM. President Droupadi Murmu sanctioned the Act in December 2023.
Thakur argued that these legislative changes pose a threat to the integrity of elections as they lack an “independent mechanism” for appointing EC members.
Meanwhile, a high-powered committee chaired by the Prime Minister is slated to meet on March 15 to finalize the new appointments.
The resignation of Goel has triggered political discourse, particularly with the impending Lok Sabha polls in 2024. With Goel and Pandey’s departures, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar remains the sole member of the ECI, heightening the urgency for new appointments.
