On March 12, the Supreme Court has said that entrusting additional charges of State Election Commissioner to a government official by the Goa government is a mockery of the Constitution. The Court has ordered the Goa government to appoint an independent election commissioner.
Key Points
- The Goa state government had given additional charge of State Election Commissioner to the state’s Law Secretary.
- Not only this, but the Court has also directed all state election commissioners across the country, presently holding an additional charge, to step down immediately.
- The court highlighted that a government employee or bureaucrat cannot be appointed as Election Commissioner.
- This was ordered by the Bench of Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, B R Gavai, and Hrishikesh Roy while hearing an appeal by the Goa government against an order of the Bombay High Court which had issued a stay on certain municipal election notifications issued by the Goa State Election Commission.
- The apex court upheld the High Court order regarding municipal reservations and directed the state government to notify reservations for the municipalities of Margao, Mormugao, Mapusa, Sanguem, and Quepem within the next 10 days.
- It also directed the State Election Commission to complete the election process by April 30.
The apex court had, on March 11, stayed the verdict of the High Court, which had set aside the notification on the reservation of wards in five municipal councils.