Let Me Explain: Concerns with new CEC’s appointment

The ‘midnight’ appointment of new Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has raised concerns about the PM Modi-led government trying to undermine the independence of the country’s top polling body. 

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has said that he disapproves of the process adopted to appoint Kumar to the Election Commission’s top post. What raises more eyebrows is how Kumar’s selection happened in the midst of crucial hearings listed in the Supreme Court over the appointment process for election commissioners. 

In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down what exactly is the Supreme Court case about and lists the chronology of events that preceded Kumar’s appointment. She also looks at why  concerns about the selection process are more than just about the procedure followed or flouted, but point to the threats surrounding the structural integrity of India’s election process.

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