The central government has introduced a new bill in the Rajya Sabha that has raised concerns about its potential impact on the appointments of election commissioners. If this bill is passed in parliament, it could pose a significant threat to Indian democracy in the future.
This bill differs from a Supreme Court judgment issued in March of the same year, which stipulated that the President should appoint the Central Election Commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners based on the recommendations of a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice (CJI).
The new bill appears to be designed to diminish the role of the Chief Justice of India in the Appointments Committee. As per the bill introduced by Union Minister Arjun Rammeghwal, a selection committee of three members, including the Prime Minister as Chairman, would be formed to appoint the CEC and EC. One Union Cabinet Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha would also be members of this committee.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have expressed strong reservations about the bill, accusing the central government of undermining the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench verdict. The Congress has alleged that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah seek to exert control over the Election Commission, thereby turning it into a puppet under their influence.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal criticized Prime Minister Modi for attempting to subjugate the Election Commission. He further noted that the bill was introduced with a clear bias against the guidance of an impartial committee, as suggested by the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, senior BJP leader and mentor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, LK Advani, had written a letter to then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 2, 2012, proposing that the Chief Justice of India be included in the process. Advani suggested that election commissioners should be appointed by a collegium comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Union Law Minister, and opposition leaders from both houses of parliament.
