Hyderabad -: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for reforms in the appointment of Election Commissioners (ECs). He said the process of appointing Election Commissioners should be independent of the government in power.
Expressing regret over his party’s support for the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, Jagan Reddy said the system needed to be reconsidered to ensure public confidence in elections. Referring to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, he acknowledged that his party had supported the legislation in Parliament.
Drawing a comparison between elections and examinations, Jagan Mohan Reddy said that students cannot be allowed to appoint their own examiners. His argument highlighted the importance of ensuring independence and impartiality in the process of selecting those responsible for conducting elections. He emphasised that reforms were necessary to strengthen public trust in the electoral system and ensure that Election Commissioners could function independently of the government of the day.
