SUCI (Communist) strongly opposes exclusion of Chief Justice of India from the Selection Committee of Election Commissioners

Provash Ghosh, General Secretary, SUCI (Communist)has issued the following statement:

Ahmedabad, Dec 14:  “We strongly oppose the most undemocratic and arbitrary manner in which the BJP-led Central Government sought to get the “Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023” passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday 12 December 2023. Hitherto, the search committee for appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners comprised the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. But now, the new bill excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee and recommends inclusion of a minister nominated by the Prime Minister in its place. This means the government now arrogates to itself exclusive right to select Election Commissioners as per its own choice and further manipulate in its favour the electoral process which has already suffered severe erosion of its relatively neutral character because of several manipulations over time. This latest move of the central BJP government, therefore, clearly indicates that the Government is hell bent to eradicate whatevervestiges of neutrality the election commission still has. Thus, whatever of the little check and balance was hitherto available in the selection procedure is being abolished now. It is therefore a flagrant violation of rudimentary precepts of democracy and a further step in firming up fascist autocratic rule in the country.

We therefore call upon all democratic-minded people to rise up against this sinister move and develop mighty people’s movement throughout the country to compel the BJP Government rescind this fascistic Bill”

Meenakshi Joshi, Secretary, Gujarat State Org. Committee, S.U.C.I.(C) released the statement of SUCI with the  Gujarat media.