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Supreme Court not to stay appointment of new election commissioners under 2023 law; to hear pleas on March 21
The Supreme Court of India has refused to stay the appointment of the new election commissioners under the 2023 law barring CJI from the selection process.
The Supreme Court of India decided not to stay the appointment of the new election commissioners under the 2023 law which barred the Chief Justice of India from the selection process. The court has further posted the matter for hearing on March 21.
The apex court bench headed by Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta, and Augustine George Masih heard writ petitions filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Association for Democratic Reforms on Friday, and ruled not to stay the appointment of the two new election commissioners, selected by a panel on Thursday.
The Supreme Court bench told the petitioners, who pointed out that a meeting for the selection of ECs was preponed, to file a separate application pointing out the fact.
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Refusing to stay the appointments made in accordance with the 2023 law, the bench said, "Normally and generally, we do not stay a law by way of an interim order."
It deferred the hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of two ECs under the 2023 law.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing in the court on behalf of petitioner Jaya Thakur, said when a judgment is passed, there cannot be any transgression.
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He contended that there was a clear-cut transgression in the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu were appointed as election commissioners on Thursday. They were selected by a panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two vacancies in the Election Commission had arisen after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14 and the sudden resignation of Arun Goel.
(With inputs from PTI)
