Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Plea Challenges Appointment of Election Chief and Commissioners
A person has asked the Supreme Court to review how three election officials were appointed.
The person says the appointment process did not follow a law passed in 2023.
That law, according to the petition, called for five possible candidates for each open job.
There were two openings, but the committee reportedly recommended only six names.
The petition also says a list of more than 200 people went to the opposition leader before the committee finished its shortlist.
The Supreme Court had earlier said the law appeared to call for ten candidates for two openings.
The petition challenges the appointments of Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi.
A Supreme Court petition challenges the appointments of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Petitioner Suri Payala alleges the appointments breached the process set out in the 2023 appointments law.
The petition says the Search Committee proposed six names for two vacancies in March 2024, rather than five names for each vacancy.
A March 22, 2024 Supreme Court order said the law appeared to require ten prospective candidates for two vacant posts.
The plea says a list of more than 200 people was sent to the Leader of the Opposition before the Search Committee finalized its shortlist; the next day, six names were recommended and Kumar and Sandhu were selected.
- Who
- Petitioner Suri Payala challenges the appointments of Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi.
- What
- A plea alleges that the appointments violated the procedure in the 2023 law.
- When
- The vacancies arose in March 2024; the Supreme Court order cited in the plea was dated March 22, 2024.
- Where
- Supreme Court of India.
- Why
- The plea says the Search Committee recommended six names for two vacancies, rather than five names per vacancy as required by the law.
Petitioner's allegation
Appointment process
Number of candidates shortlisted
Petitioner's allegation
The petitioner says the law required five prospective candidates for each vacancy, meaning ten for two vacancies, but only six names were recommended.
Appointment process
The article reports that the Search Committee recommended six names and that Kumar and Sandhu were selected; it does not provide a response from the officials or government defending the process.
Timing of candidate list
Petitioner's allegation
The plea says a list of more than 200 people was sent to the Leader of the Opposition before the Search Committee finalized its shortlist.
Appointment process
The article does not include a response to this allegation from the government or the officials involved.
- Petitioner
- Suri Payala
- Appointees named
- Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi
- Law cited
- Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023
- Vacancies
- Two Election Commissioner vacancies arose in March 2024
- Names proposed
- The petition says the Search Committee recommended six names for the two vacancies
- Supreme Court order
- On March 22, 2024, the Court said the law appeared to call for ten prospective candidates for two vacant posts
- Earlier list
- The plea says more than 200 names were sent to the Leader of the Opposition before the shortlist was finalized