New Delhi: The Central government is set to introduce legislation that would exclude the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the process of appointing top election officers.
The bill to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha proposes that the President will appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners on the recommendation of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
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This new bill is seen as a departure from the current system, which requires the CEC and other election commissioners to be appointed on the advice of a panel comprising the PM, the LoP, and the CJI.
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The Supreme Court upheld this system in a 2023 judgment, saying that it was necessary to ensure the independence of the Election Commission.
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The proposed legislation is likely to face opposition from the opposition parties and the judiciary.
The opposition parties have argued that the exclusion of the CJI from the appointment process would undermine the independence of the Election Commission.