'Landmark order', Kejriwal hails SC ruling on appointment of CEC, ECs

New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday termed the apex court decision on the appointment of Election Commissioners as a 'landmark order'.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice K.M. Joseph ordered on Thursday that the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners will be appointed by the President of India on the advice of a high-powered committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

"Truly a landmark order by the Supreme Court on the EC issue. We welcome the order," Kejriwal said in a tweet on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference on the matter, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said that the opposition leaders and the citizens of India have many times raised doubts over the credibility of the Election Commission. Therefore, the ruling by the Supreme Court in this matter is very crucial, he said.

"Many times we have seen the Election Commission waiting for the Prime Minister or the Home Minister to complete their scheduled rallies or announce their poll promises before announcing the election schedule for a state. Several political parties and individuals have raised their doubts over the independence of the Election Commission of India. Therefore, the decision of the SC to appoint a high-powered committee to select the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners is a welcome step," Singh said.

In a concurring but separate judgement, Justices Ajay Rastogi made it clear that the grounds for the removal of Election Commissioners should be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner.