YS Jagan admits mistake in backing 2023 law, demands neutral selection panel

Amaravati: YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has admitted that his party made a mistake by supporting 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and demanded sweeping changes to insulate electoral institutions from the influence of the ruling establishment.

Speaking to the media after meeting the State Election Commissioner (SEC), Jagan expressed regret over YSRCP’s support for the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. He called on the Centre to amend the law and restore a three-member selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Chief Justice of India (CJI).

“Unfortunately, there needs to be a change in this system. Appointments must be made neutrally,” Jagan said, acknowledging that YSRCP had supported the appointment framework in Parliament but had subsequently realised its implications. He said the party regretted having backed the legislation.

Jagan questioned the logic of allowing the ruling establishment to dominate appointments to institutions responsible for conducting elections. Under the earlier arrangement he cited, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the CJI participated in the selection process. Under the present framework, the Prime Minister and a Union Minister nominated by him have two votes, while the Leader of the Opposition has one, with the CJI excluded from the committee.

Describing this as a structural flaw, Jagan argued that the appointment process itself must be impartial and must be seen to be impartial. “An examiner cannot be appointed by the student,” he said, explaining that even an honest election official could face questions about neutrality if appointed through a process dominated by the government in power.

He extended the argument to the appointment of the State Election Commissioner, contending that the Chief Minister or the ruling government should not have unilateral control over the selection. A neutral mechanism, he said, was necessary to ensure that electoral authorities could function independently and command public confidence. “Transparency should not merely exist; it must be clearly visible,” Jagan said, stressing that the credibility of democracy depended on public confidence in constitutional institutions.

The YSRCP chief maintained that reform should extend beyond the appointment of Election Commissioners at the national level to the State Election Commission as well. He called for a neutral appointment mechanism to prevent governments from influencing the selection of officials responsible for overseeing elections.

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The Hans India