Congress challenges ECI autonomy, calls for CEC's ouster

The Congress party has launched a frontal assault on the Election Commission of India's institutional autonomy, with senior leaders challenging recent procedural changes governing the appointment of election commissioners. Former Union Minister J.D. Seelam spearheaded the criticism, arguing that modifications to the appointment process have compromised the ECI's impartiality and independence.

The party's concerns centre on structural changes that, according to Congress leaders, have weakened the constitutional safeguards designed to insulate the election body from political influence. Seelam's remarks reflect broader opposition concerns about maintaining the integrity of India's electoral processes and the independence of institutions mandated to oversee them.

In escalating its campaign, Congress has scheduled a major protest demonstration in New Delhi for November 1, signalling the party's commitment to pressing these demands. The planned agitation represents an attempt to mobilise public opinion around the issue of institutional autonomy at a time when electoral credibility remains a focal point of political discourse.

The development underscores ongoing tensions between India's political parties and electoral administration bodies over questions of independence, transparency, and procedural legitimacy in the country's democratic framework.