The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other respondents on a plea alleging unilateral decision-making in matters concerning the poll panel.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, declined to pass an interim order seeking Kumar’s suspension or restricting the ECI from taking decisions.
The plea alleges that several decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken in the name of the ECI without the approval of the other Election Commissioners. The petitioners have sought scrutiny of the Commission’s records and directions to ensure that decisions are taken in accordance with the constitutional and statutory framework.
The court said it would consider the allegations after receiving responses from the respondents and indicated that if it emerges that decisions were taken neither unanimously nor by majority, the concerned authorities would have to explain how those decisions were made
