Independence of Election Commission hampered by government: Supreme Court
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that the government was ensuring the independence of election commissioners only on paper, as was evident from duration of the tenures of the election commissioners, The Hindu reported.
A Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph was hearing on Tuesday petitioners seeking directions to ensure that the Election Commission is able to work as an independent body.
The Court pointed out that the tenures of the chief election commissioners (CEC), which had been more than eight years in the 1950s, had reduced to only a few hundred days since 2004 and that no CEC had completed a full term of six years since 1996, it is reported.
The government, with the knowledge of the date of birth of officials, has been ensuring that no CEC gets a full term, the bench reportedly remarked, adding that the trend has continued with every successive government.
A law regarding the appointment of ECs had not been framed by the Parliament yet, in spite of the mandate of Article 324(2) of the Constitution and the recommendations of the Dinesh Goswami Committee in 1990 to foster greater independence for the Commission. The Article 324(2) allows the Parliament to make laws regarding the appointment of the chief election commissioner as well as other election commissioners, the Court pointed out.
The petitioners had suggested to the Supreme Court to direct the setting up of a selection committee for the poll panel that would function similar to the commission to select the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The committee to select the director of the CBI comprises the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition.
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PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat
Varanasi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday filed his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat after offering prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Kaal Bhairav temple here.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among those present at the collectorate when Modi filed his papers.
He is eyeing a hattrick in the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, which he had won for the first time in 2014.
In a post in Hindi on X, Modi said, "My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable... all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!"
The prime minister held a dazzling roadshow in Varanasi a day ago and vowed to do a lot more to serve the holy city in his third term. A day later, he posted a clip from his Monday's roadshow on 'X' and said, "The love and blessings that my family members of Kashi showered on me during the road show has become an unforgettable moment in my life."
Voting in Varanasi will take place in the seventh phase on June 1.
