YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday said he regretted supporting the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, arguing that the ruling party should not control the selection of officials responsible for overseeing elections.
Addressing a press conference after meeting Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha, Reddy also accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government of preventing opposition candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming local body elections. Reddy argued that the presence of the Chief Justice of India on the selection panel would help ensure neutrality. He criticised the current arrangement, under which the Prime Minister and a Union minister nominated by him have two votes, while the Leader of Opposition has one. “Currently, Prime Minister and a Minister nominated by the Prime Minister have two votes and Leader of Opposition one vote. Since two votes go in favour of one person, he will be a nominee of the government. This is a flaw in the system. He also called for changes to the process of appointing State Election Commissioners, arguing that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu or the TDP should not have the authority to appoint the state poll official. Reddy alleged that opposition candidates had faced threats, attacks and illegal cases, while officials were refusing to accept their nomination papers. He also questioned whether the State Election Commission was taking adequate steps to protect candidates and enforce election rules.
“Earlier at the Centre, YSRCP supported the system wherein the ruling party can nominate the Election Commissioner but today we are regretting the mistake we made by supporting it,” the YSRCP chief said. We realised this after we made the mistake,” he said. The YSRCP chief said reforms were necessary to protect the credibility of the electoral system.
Reddy called for the restoration of the earlier appointment system, under which a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India would select the Chief Election Commissioner.
