In response to petitions contesting the Election Commissioners’ appointment process under the new Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners, Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office Act, 2023 (Act), the Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 13, decided to hear the cases on March 15.
A bench consisting of Justices Sanjjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh, and Bela M. Trivedi heard arguments on behalf of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Dr. Jaya Thakur, general secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee.
This occurs at a time when the polling organization’s top panel has two openings. Anup Chandra Pandey, his senior panel colleague, retired this month, while Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned last week.
Two panels of five candidates each will be prepared for the two positions by a search committee headed by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in accordance with the present process for selecting election commissioners. Two candidates for appointments will later be named by a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and including a Union Minister and Congress Leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
According to government officials who spoke with news agency PTI, the selection committee may meet today or tomorrow and fill both of the open positions by Friday.
The petition filed by the ADR draws attention to the Election Commissioner appointment procedures. The Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha must recommend candidates for the top election positions, according to a ruling made by the Supreme Court’s Constitution panel last year.
The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners’ Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office Bill, 2023 was introduced by the Center a few months later. After passing the Parliament, this act removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel. It was placed on a Union Minister instead. The Executive gained more weight on the panel as a result.
