The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark verdict aimed at maintaining the purity of elections by changing the process of appointing Election Commissioners. The new process will include a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. The appointment of the Chief Election Commissioners and two Election Commissioners, who oversee polls across the country, will be made on the advice of this committee, which will give the opposition and the judiciary a say.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by Justice KM Joseph stated that "Elections should undoubtedly be fair and the buck stops with the Election Commission of India to ensure its purity is maintained." The verdict stresses the importance of maintaining the purity of elections in a democracy and warns of disastrous consequences if the purity is not maintained.
The far-reaching verdict also grants the Election Commission an independent secretariat, rule-making powers, an independent budget, and equal protection from impeachment. The Election Commission can now draw funds directly from the consolidated fund of India, instead of having to go to the Prime Minister's Officer and the Law Ministry for funds and approvals. Currently, the President appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and two Commissioners for a term of six years each on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, and they are usually former bureaucrats.
The Supreme Court has also questioned the Centre on the appointment of former IAS officer Arun Goel as the new Election Commissioner within 24 hours and had asked to see the original files related to the appointment. Overall, the verdict aims to ensure the purity of elections and maintain the integrity of the democratic process.
