How the Election Commission was set up, how it got 3 members in 1993

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a permanent constitutional body established on January 25, 1950, in accordance with the Constitution. Its primary responsibility is to oversee the conduct of elections for Parliament, State legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President of India. The ECI was initially a single-member body, consisting only of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). However, in 1993, it underwent a significant transformation to become a body with three members.

The CEC and two Election Commissioners (ECs) make up the ECI today. The CEC and ECs are appointed by the President and serve for a period of six years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first. They hold the same status, salary, and perks as Supreme Court judges. Furthermore, the CEC can only be impeached through a vote in Parliament, similar to the process for a Supreme Court judge.

The Constitution does not specify the number of members in the ECI. Article 324 of the Constitution only states that the Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners as the President may fix from time to time. This ambiguity led to the ECI expanding from a single-member body to a three-member body in 1993.