In a prelude to the forthcoming five-day special parliamentary session, the contentious bill pertaining to the appointment of high-ranking election officials was conspicuously omitted from the roster of eight bills presented to the opposition during the all-party meeting on Sunday, as per insider sources. This legislative proposal under scrutiny, titled the “Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill,” has elicited vociferous opposition.
Central to the contentious nature of the bill is its proposal to divest the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners of their status as Supreme Court judges. Furthermore, the bill suggests that the remuneration, allowances, and service terms of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners should mirror those of the Cabinet Secretary, a stipulation that met with stern resistance during the all-party meeting, spearheaded by opposition members.
The bill’s provisions extend to the overhaul of the panel responsible for advising the President on the appointment of election commissioners, replacing the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet member, nominated by the Prime Minister. This deviation from the Supreme Court’s March ruling, which mandated the inclusion of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India on the panel, has been met with vehement objection from opposition parties. They argue that this alteration could jeopardize the impartiality of elections.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has taken a stance against Prime Minister Modi, alleging non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives, characterizing the situation as “very dangerous.”
Pralhad Joshi, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, refrained from addressing the bill directly when queried about its status after the all-party meeting, offering an evasive response, stating, “What I have to say, I have said.”
During the same meeting, a chorus of political parties, spanning both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition INDIA bloc, ardently advocated for the passage of the women’s reservation bill during the upcoming five-day parliamentary session commencing on Monday.
As the parliamentary session begins, a special discussion, commemorating 75 years of Parliament’s journey from the Samvidhan Sabha, is scheduled for today.
