YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for an amendment to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, saying the selection process should be revisited to strengthen public confidence in the Election Commission.
Amaravati, Sept 2026 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday called for an amendment to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, amid the ongoing controversy over reported differences within the Election Commission.
Jagan said the appointment mechanism should be changed to restore a system in which the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners are selected by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
Under the 2023 Act, however, the statutory selection committee consists of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The law replaced the arrangement directed by the Supreme Court in 2023, under which the CJI was part of the selection panel until Parliament enacted legislation on the issue.
In a post on X, Jagan said democracy depends on public confidence in constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission. His remarks came after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning electoral rolls, Form 6, voter-related processes and aspects of the EC's digital systems.
An Indian Express investigation reported that the two Election Commissioners had raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period. The reported concerns included changes relating to new voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, appeals against electoral-roll decisions and access to election-related software.
Jagan said the public needed clarity on the nature of the objections, the action taken in response and the manner in which electoral-roll processes were handled. He stressed that transparency should extend to the addition, deletion and restoration of names on electoral rolls.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections reflected a breakdown in decision-making. It said internal notes, observations and differences of view are part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its final decisions, including those related to electoral-roll revision, were taken unanimously.
Jagan argued that the electoral process must protect every eligible citizen's right to vote and said institutional procedures should be designed to strengthen public confidence. He also compared the appointment process to a situation in which a student selects an examiner, arguing that the perception of neutrality was important even when the person appointed was honest.
The YSRCP president also raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that the ruling party had misused its authority and claimed that objections raised by his party had not received adequate consideration.
He further alleged that similar concerns arose during the local-body election process when the Opposition objected to the manner in which electoral divisions were redrawn.
“Transparency and accountability are the true measures of how any institution functions in a democracy,” Jagan said, arguing that safeguarding both should remain a primary responsibility of constitutional institutions.
The YSRCP said the Centre should reconsider the 2023 legislation and bring an amendment restoring the Prime Minister-CJI-Leader of Opposition model for appointments, which it said would help address concerns and reinforce confidence in the Election Commission.
