Supreme Court Declines to Halt Appointments of Election Commissioners

Despite arguments from petitioners highlighting concerns over the timing and transparency of the appointments, the Supreme Court refused to stay the appointments of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar. The petitioners, represented by senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Vikas Singh, and Prashant Bhushan, emphasized the potential message of favoritism conveyed by the hurried appointments just before the 2024 General Election.

They underscored the significance of free and fair elections in upholding the basic structure of the Constitution and urged the court to intervene. However, the Bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, cited a technicality, indicating that legislative enactments are not typically stayed, despite the gravity of the issue concerning the foundation of democracy.