{
  "id": 9472777,
  "title": "Accountability For CEC’s ‘Illegal’ And ‘Unauthorised’ Actions Lies With PM Modi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/accountability-for-cecs-illegal-and-unauthorised-actions-lies-with-pm",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T12:21:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Arabian Post",
    "slug": "arabian-post",
    "url": "https://thearabianpost.com/accountability-for-cecs-illegal-and-unauthorised-actions-lies-with-pm-modi/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The recent disclosures of objections raised by two of the three Election Commissioners of India (ECI) against certain actions taken by the Election Commission under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar Gupta have raised serious concerns about the accountability of the ECI. These objections, labeled as 'illegal' and 'unauthorized' by the two commissioners, have surfaced at least 14 times in the last ten months.\n\nWhile the investigation by the Indian Express highlights the lack of accountability of the CEC alone, it goes beyond that, revealing a troubling influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the Election Commission. The legislation introduced in 2023, which brought the ECI under their control, grants CEC constitutional protection and allows for impeachment only. This provision, however, appears to be of little consequence, as demonstrated by the recent resignation of the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, following a mere threat of impeachment from the highest level.\n\nThe vulnerability of the CEC is further emphasized by the unprecedented resignation of a Vice President, a position typically seen as insulated from political pressure. This leaves CEC Gyanesh Kumar with little choice but to comply with the orders of the Prime Minister. The other two Election Commissioners, who also possess no constitutional protection, have only the power to raise objections, but are unlikely to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion under the current circumstances.\n\nThe recent controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) in India has further eroded the credibility of the ECI. Thousands of voters have been deleted, and millions have been added from other states to influence electoral outcomes. The Supreme Court's role in this process has also diminished, transitioning from a role in delivering judgments to a supervisory one. This shift has allowed the SIR to proceed unchecked, leading to the deletion of over 13 crore voter names.\n\nThe ECI's credibility hinges not only on the personal integrity of its commissioners but also on the institutional safeguards that protect them from political pressure. The recent revelations, including the objections raised by the two ECs on the legality, authorization, and implementation of important electoral decisions, highlight the urgent need to address the fundamental question of whether an election watchdog can remain genuinely independent when the government of the day wields such decisive influence over the constitutionally appointed body.",
  "summary": "By Dr. Gyan Pathak Two Election Commissioners of India, out of three, have put on record their objections against certain decisions of the Election Commission under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar Gupta, and labeled them even ‘illegal’ and ‘unauthorised.’ An Indian Express investigation has found that objections were raised at least […] The article Accountability…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}