Stories
SC Refuses to Suspend CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Issues Notice to Election Commission
- •The Supreme Court declined to issue an interim order to suspend Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- •Allegations claim CEC Gyanesh Kumar made unilateral decisions within the Election Commission without the agreement of the other two Election Commissioners.
- •A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued a notice to the Election Commission, requesting its response to the allegations.
- •The court indicated it might reconsider decisions made by the CEC if, after reviewing the Election Commission's response, it finds they lacked the necessary unanimity.
Key Questions Answered
The Supreme Court refused to pass an interim order seeking the suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of unilateral decision-making. However, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued a notice to the Election Commission to respond to the allegations.
A plea filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh alleged that the Election Commission's powers under Article 324 and the 2023 Act were exercised without following collective decision-making processes. Reports also indicated that fellow commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times to decisions made without their knowledge or approval.
The Supreme Court stated that after examining the Election Commission's response, if it is shown that decisions were taken without unanimity, the court will take those decisions back.
