Election Commission losing autonomy and transparency, say experts

Legal experts and civil society leaders voiced concern over the declining independence of the Election Commission of India.

At a roundtable on ‘Constitution and Autonomy of the Election Commission,’ held under the aegis of the Rajyanga Charcha Vedika at Guntur on Sunday (August 31), Siddhartha Law College principal C.H. Divakar Babu said the Commission has lost transparency and accountability over the past decade.

He criticised the Centre for replacing the Chief Justice of India with a Union Minister in the selection committee, weakening the institution’s autonomy.

Dr. Divakar Babu also questioned the deletion of 65 lakh votes in Bihar through a rushed revision, calling it undemocratic. He said Aadhaar, available to 99% of citizens, should be accepted over birth certificates that most elderly lack. Speakers, including V. Lakshman Reddy, Nadimpalli Gurudutt and others, stressed linking Aadhaar with voter ID, ensuring clean rolls, and safeguarding Constitutional institutions from political interference.