On the eve of the Special Session of Parliament which will take up the contentious Bill relating to appointment of Election Commissioners (ECs), activists and civil society members raised questions over autonomy of the poll body, if the legislation is passed.
The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in the Monsoon Session, proposes that the selection panel for appointing the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), and other ECs, will consist of the Prime Minister as the chairperson, the Leader of the Opposition as a member, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister as another member. In March, the Supreme Court had ruled that the selection panel should comprise the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI). However, the apex court had said that this procedure would be followed, only till the Parliament enacts a law.
Questions have been raised over the fact that the inclusion of a Cabinet Minister instead of the CJI would lead to the selection committee being controlled by the government.
