Can CEC Gyanesh Kumar exercise EC powers alone? SC to hear plea today
The Indian Supreme Court is reviewing a petition challenging the unilateral decision-making of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The case questions whether the Election Commission can function without the consensus of all its members.
Why it matters
The outcome could redefine the internal governance and institutional independence of India's election oversight body.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday is hearing pleas seeking the suspension of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The pleas have raised questions on whether Gyanesh used powers that belong to the Election Commission without the approval of election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana will hear the pleas filed by Patna resident Rakesh Kumar Singh and advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi.The pleas come after an Indian Express report claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which were allegedly issued without their knowledge or recommendation.What are the petitioners seeking?Singh's plea seeks Kumar's suspension until the final hearing, to protect the "multi-member character of the Election Commission."
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