‘Leaves A Perception Of Bias’: Ex-EC Ashok Lavasa On Changes To Poll Panel Selection
As the Opposition remains resolute in its protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over allegations surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa has criticised the changes made to the selection panel for appointing election commissioners. He said replacing the Chief Justice of India (CJI)…
Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has expressed concerns over recent changes to the selection panel for appointing election commissioners, stating that it creates a perception of bias. The panel, which is supposed to comprise the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI), now has the minister of the Union Cabinet as the third member.
Lavasa argues that this change undermines the effectiveness of the panel, as a minister is unlikely to disagree with the Prime Minister, making the role of the third member "completely ineffective". He suggests that the government broaden the selection panel by adding one or two independent members to improve public confidence in the Election Commission.
In his recent interview with The Free Press Journal, Lavasa also raised concerns over the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, particularly in West Bengal, and called for a commission of inquiry to examine whether the deletions affected election outcomes. He criticized the Election Commission of India's (ECI) handling of the SIR, describing it as "full of infirmities" and questioning the unilateral decisions and lack of transparency in the decision-making process.
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