Supreme Court to Examine Plea on Election Commission Decision-Making Next Week

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a petition that questions the manner in which the Election Commission of India, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, takes its decisions.

The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who raised the issue before the bench, submitted that under the statutory scheme, decisions of the multi-member poll panel must be either unanimous or carried by a majority.

He told the court that there is serious doubt over whether the Commission's decisions are in fact unanimous, given the way it has been functioning.

The plea has come amid concerns over objections raised by two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, regarding revisions to electoral rolls. Reports have claimed that the two Commissioners recorded objections at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The poll panel has, however, said in a statement that the letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary concerned an officer on deputation, and did not relate to policy or IT division matters.

The court has not yet fixed a date for the hearing, which is expected to take place next week.