New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the appointments of new election commissioners (ECs) under a 2023 law that excluded the chief justice of India from the selection panel.
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih told the petitioners, who pointed out that a meeting for the selection of ECs was pre-poned, to file a separate application pointing out the fact.
Refusing to stay the appointments made in accordance with the 2023 law, the bench said, "Normally and generally, we do not stay a law by way of an interim order."
Former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu were appointed as Election Commissioners on Thursday, filling the two vacancies in the Election Commission. Their selection was made by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The vacancies arose after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14 and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel. (with Agency inputs)
