New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Wednesday scheduled April 16 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) under the 2023 law.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh fixed the date after advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), requested an urgent hearing. Bhushan argued that the matter was crucial for the democracy’s foundation and is related to the 2023 Constitution bench verdict.
Bhushan pointed out that the issue revolves around whether the 2023 verdict, which mandates the appointment of the CEC and ECs by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and Chief Justice of India (CJI), should be followed or the new law, which excludes the CJI from the panel, should prevail.
The Supreme Court had earlier said that the pleas would be heard on a “priority basis” and, on February 18, stated that the matter would be decided on merit. The controversy arose after the government appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the new CEC and Vivek Joshi as an EC under the 2023 law, despite the 2023 verdict calling for an independent panel for appointments.
The petitioners argue that the exclusion of the CJI from the panel and the law’s provisions undermine the independence of the Election Commission, a crucial institution for ensuring free and fair elections in India.(Agencies)
Tags: Northlines
