{
  "id": 11594195,
  "title": "When Election Commission was rocked by internal disputes | Explained",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/when-election-commission-was-rocked-by-internal-disputes-explained",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T03:57:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/when-election-commission-was-rocked-by-internal-disputes-explained/article71539602.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "From Sukumar Sen's tenure in 1951-52, when the Election Commission comprised only one member—the Chief Election Commissioner, to October 16, 1986, the Commission functioned with a sole member. In 1991, the Supreme Court, in S.S. Dhanoa v. Union of India, ruled that the President could appoint additional Election Commissioners at their discretion under Article 342(2) of the Constitution. In 1989, the Rajiv Gandhi government added two more Commissioners, R.V.S. Peri Sastry and V.S. Seigell, to manage the increased workload following the reduction of the voting age to 18. However, this multi-member setup was short-lived as the new V.P. Singh government revoked the appointments.\n\nIn 1993, the President appointed M.S. Gill and G.V.G. Krishnamurthy as Election Commissioners, making the Commission a three-member body. The President later issued an Ordinance, enacted as the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (Condition of Service) Amendment Act, with retrospective effect from 1993, which granted coordinate powers to the Election Commissioners. The Dhanoa judgment suggested solving the grey area in the Constitution through legislation.\n\nA Constitution Bench in 1993 ruled that the Chief Election Commissioner should act unanimously with the other Election Commissioners, with a majority decision in case of disagreements. The bench held that the permanency of the Chief Election Commissioner did not confer a higher status than the other Commissioners. If the Chief Election Commissioner left office, the Deputy Election Commissioner was to take charge temporarily. Trouble resurfaced in 2009 when Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami recommended the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla on charges of bias, followed by BJP leaders petitioning for his removal in 2006 and 2008. Gopalaswami served a notice to Chawla, leading to an adverse recommendation after a year, despite rejecting BJP's allegations. However, President Pratibha Patel dismissed Gopalaswami's recommendation. In 2019, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa complained to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora about the lack of inclusion of his dissenting opinions on the model code of conduct in the final order, leading to a decision by the Commission to not include such opinions in the final order or internal files.",
  "summary": "A major controversy erupted when T.N. Seshan went to court challenging the appointment of two Election Commissioners; N. Gopalaswami’s suo motu recommendation to the President for the removal of Navin Chawla was another shocking episode",
  "key_points": [
    "Election Commission began with one member in 1951-52.",
    "Supreme Court ruled in 1991 to appoint additional Commissioners.",
    "Commission became three-member body in 1993."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The internal disputes within the Election Commission reflect a deeper struggle for power and coordination among its members, challenging the institution's ability to function effectively and impartially.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "‘Election Commission wants me to give a false declaration… It is wrong’: Why a Goa ‘voter’ is in court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/election-commission-wants-me-to-give-a-false-declaration-it-is-wrong",
        "published": "2026-10-03T01:30:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Confusion over status of 2.2mn West Bengal voters in Election Commission's special drive",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/confusion-over-status-of-2-2mn-west-bengal-voters-in-election",
        "published": "2026-10-03T02:10:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}