New Delhi, Sep 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on whether petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) should be referred to a Constitution Bench. While Justice Dipankar Datta rejected the plea for reference to a larger Bench, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma held that the challenge raises a substantial question of constitutional interpretation that has not been settled by any earlier judgment and favoured reference to a Constitution Bench. In view of the difference of opinion, the two-judge Bench directed that the papers be placed before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant for considering the desirability of constituting a Constitution Bench of an appropriate strength to decide the constitutional validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

New Delhi, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Thursday raised questions over the Centre’s law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs), observing that the present selection mechanism appeared to place effective control with the executive and reduced the role of the Leader of Opposition to a mere "show of independence". Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma questioned why no independent member had been included in the selection panel responsible for appointing top officials to the Election Commission of India (ECI).