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Supreme Court asks Centre why election panel is a political show not real independence
Politics
Published on 14 May 2026
Judges say Leader of Opposition vote is “ornamental”
The Supreme Court has questioned the Centre’s approach to appointing Election Commission of India commissioners, stressing that independence must be visible as well as real. During hearings challenging the Election Commissioners Act, 2023, judges Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma targeted the selection committee’s composition, arguing the Opposition role is effectively symbolic and a neutral selector is needed. The bench also questioned why the CJI was excluded and asked the attorney general to keep records ready, including for recent selections.
- Judges said “independent” is not enough; ECI must also appear independent
- Selection panel includes PM, a Cabinet minister and Lok Sabha Opposition leader
- Court noted Opposition role is “ornamental” and Cabinet will back the PM
- Act passed in December 2023 with presidential assent on Dec 29
- Petitioners claim the law violates the 2023 SC judgment by excluding CJI
- Bench asked for records on ECI selection of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times