YS Jagan Calls for Review of Law Governing Election Commission Appointments

YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission, saying public confidence in constitutional institutions is essential for a strong democracy. He said recent reports about objections raised by two Election Commissioners over the poll body's decisions, electoral rolls and the functioning of ECI Net had created doubts among the public and warranted a clear explanation.

Jagan said people deserved to know what concerns had been raised by the Election Commissioners, what action was taken on those objections and how decisions concerning the addition, deletion and restoration of names in electoral rolls were made. He said the issue should not be reduced to allegations and counter-allegations, stressing that facts must be placed before the public in a transparent manner.

According to Jagan, maintaining public trust in the electoral process is as important as protecting every citizen's right to vote. He said transparency in a democratic institution should not merely exist on paper but must also be visible and credible to the people.

Against this backdrop, Jagan called for a review of the 2023 legislation governing the appointment, service conditions and tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. He suggested amendments to the law to make the appointment process more independent and acceptable to the public.

Jagan proposed that a three-member selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India should be constituted to appoint Election Commissioners. He said such a mechanism could help strengthen institutional credibility and restore public confidence in the Election Commission.

Turning to Andhra Pradesh, Jagan alleged that the ruling party had misused its official machinery during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He claimed that several representations submitted by his party were not considered during the process.

He also alleged that objections raised by the YSR Congress Party over the redrawing of divisions for local body elections were ignored. Such developments, he said, could undermine people's confidence in the electoral process.

Jagan maintained that transparency and accountability should remain the fundamental benchmarks for every democratic institution and that protecting these principles was the responsibility of the institutions concerned.