New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging validity of the law relating to the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners, which dropped Chief Justice of India from selection panel for Election Commissioners. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh indicated that it may hear the matter next week, subject to the cases listed before it.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), told the bench that the matter be heard today and tomorrow, and the hearing can be concluded. Justice Kant said there is a three-judge bench part heard matter tomorrow.
“We wish we can work 24 hours. After reading 50 files per night… how much energy left to hear this regular matter,” said Justice Kant. Let’s see what we can do in this case next week, said the bench, indicating that it may hear the case next week.
In 2024, the apex court had declined to put on hold the two Election Commissioners’ appointment under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
The pleas were filed in the apex court seeking a stay on the Act by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Jaya Thakur (General Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee), Sanjay Narayanrao Meshram, Dharmendra Singh Kushwaha, and advocate Gopal Singh.
The pleas challenged the Election Commissioners’ law that has dropped the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for appointing CEC and other Election Commissioners (ECs).