Parliament passes bill on Election Commissioners appointment; CJI dropped from selection panel

In a significant development during the Winter Session, the Lok Sabha passed the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 on December 21. 

Introduced on August 10, the bill was moved for consideration and passage today by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and passed the parliament's lower house today. 

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service And Term of Office) Bill, 2023, introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, aims to regulate the appointment process of these officials. 

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This legislation has sparked controversy as it deviates from the Supreme Court's earlier direction that the selection panel for the Election Commission should include the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The new bill removes the CJI from the selection committee, replacing them with a minister nominated by the Prime Minister. 

While moving the motion for the bill's consideration, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the appointment of election commissioners - which was earlier not governed by any specific provision under law - was an important responsibility of the executive. Justifying the move to remove the chief justice from the selection panel, the minister said, "This is an important executive function. The architects of our Constitution enshrined the separation of powers in Article 50. The executive should do the executive's job, the judiciary should do the judiciary's job, and the legislature should do the legislature's job."