Congress demands Centre to postpone selection of poll body chief

The Congress on Monday urged the Centre to defer the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), citing the Supreme Court's upcoming hearing on a plea challenging the Centre's law that replaces the Chief Justice with the Home Minister in the selection panel for the top poll body official. The remarks came as the selection panel, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, met to pick the new CEC.

Congress argued that the composition of the current committee violates a Supreme Court order on the matter and urged the government to "set aside ego" and consider their demand to postpone the appointment of the new poll body chief. It alleged that the government wants "only control but not credibility".

In March 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the Chief Election Commissioner shall be appointed on the advice of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice. However, this order was intended to remain in effect until the government enacted a new law on the issue.

Subsequently, the government brought the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, replacing



the Chief Justice with the Home Minister. This law has been challenged in the Supreme Court, and the hearing on the matter has been scheduled for February 19.

"The stand of Congress regarding the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is very clear: The meeting held today regarding the election of CEC should be postponed, the Modi government should file a petition in the Supreme Court that the hearing related to the CEC election should be held soon. Congress will fully support the government in this," senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference.

"Modi government should leave aside its ego and accept this demand," he said.

Singhvi argued that the government's move undermines the credibility of the Election Commission, suggesting that the government is more interested in control than maintaining the institution's independence.

"Removing or trying to keep the Chief Justice out of the appointment (of CEC) process as an independent entity, the government has made it clear, they want only control but not credibility. The most important thing for the Election Commission is credibility," he said.

Senior leader Ajay Maken also echoed the same, saying "today's meeting should have been postponed".