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2023 Supreme(SC) 179

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
K.M. JOSEPH, ANIRUDDHA BOSE, HRISHIKESH ROY, C. T. RAVIKUMAR, AJAY RASTOGI, JJ.
Anoop Baranwal – Appellant
Versus
Union Of India - Respondent
Writ Petition (Civil) No.104 of 2015, 1043 of 2017, 569 of 2021, 998 of 2022
Decided on : 02-03-2023

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner(s): Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma, AOR Mr. Prashant Bhushan, AOR Ms. Alice Raj, Adv. Mr. Rahul Gupta, Adv. Mrs. Neha Rathi, Adv. Ms. Ria Yadav, Adv. Mr. Gopal Shankarnarayanan, Sr. Adv. Mr. Ashwani Kumar Dubey, AOR Mr. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, Adv. Ms. Janhavi Dubey, Adv. Ms. Ishita Chaudhary, Adv. Ms. Shivani Vij, Adv. Ms. Aditi Gupta, Adv. Ms. Tricha Chandran, Adv. Mr. Avinash Shukla, Adv. Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan, Adv. Mr. Saurabh Mishra, Adv. Ms. Tanya Srivastava, Adv. Ms. Shivani Vij, Adv. Ms. Ishita Choudhary, Adv. Ms. Trisha Chandran, Adv. Ms. Aditi Gupta, Adv.
For the Respondent(s): Mr. R Venkataramani, AGI Mr. Tushar Mehta, SGI Mr. Balbir Singh, A.S.G. Mr. K M Nataraj, A.S.G. Mr. Sharath Nambiar, Adv. Mr. Vinayak Sharma, Adv. Mr. Rajat Nair, Adv. Ms. Priyanka Das, Adv. Mr. Manan Popli, Adv. Mr. Niranjana Singh, Adv. Mrs. Shraddha Deshmukh, Adv. Mr. Ankur Talwar, Adv. Mr. Sumit Teterwal, Adv. Mr. Mayank Pandey, Adv. Mr. Anirudh Bhat, Adv. Mr. Udai Khanna, Adv. Ms. Chinmayee Chandra, Adv. Mr. Anandh Venkataramani, Adv. Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Venkataramani, Adv. Mr. Vinayak Mehrotra, Adv. Ms. Mansi Sood, Adv. Mr. Chitvan Singhal, Adv. Ms. Sonali Jain, Adv. Mr. Abhishek Kumar Pandey, Adv. Mr. Raman Yadav, Adv. Ms. Sneha Kalita, Adv. Mr. Prasenjeet Mohapatra, Adv. Mr. Samarvir Singh, Adv. Mr. Naman Tandon, Adv. Mr. Shyam Gopal, Adv. Mr. Sharat Nambiar, Adv. Mr. Udai Khanna, Adv. Mr. Kanu Aggarwal, Adv. Mr. Chinmayee Chandra, Adv. Mr. Sumit Teterwal, Adv. Mr. Anirudh Bhat, Adv. Mr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, AOR Mr. Amit Sharma, AOR Mr. Dipesh Sinha, Adv. Ms. Pallavi Barua, Adv. Ms. Sakshi Upadhyaya, Adv. Ms. Aparna Singh, Adv. Mr. Kaleeswaram Raj, Adv. Ms. Thulasi K Raj, Adv. Mr. Nishe Rajen Shonker, AOR Mr. Mukesh Kumar Maroria, AOR

JUDGMENT :

K.M. JOSEPH, J.

INDEX

A. THE CASES: THE FOUR WRIT PETITIONS

B. THE SUBMISSIONS OF THE PETITIONERS; SHRI GOPAL SANKARANARAYANAN, LEARNED SENIOR COUNSEL IN WRIT PETITION (C) NO. 1043 OF 2017

C. SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF SHRI PRASHANT BHUSHAN, LEARNED COUNSEL ON BEHALF OF PETITIONER IN WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 104 OF 2015

D. SUBMISSIONS BY SHRI JAYA THAKUR, PETITIONER IN WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 998 OF 2022 16

E. SUBMISSIONS OF SHRI KALEESWARAM RAJ, LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE INTERVENOR in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 569 of 2021

F. SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE LEARNED ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE UNION OF INDIA

G. SUBMISSIONS OF SHRI TUSHAR MEHTA, LEARNED SOLICITOR GENERAL OF INDIA

H. SUBMISSIONS OF SHRI BALBIR SINGH, LEARNED ADDITIONAL SOLICITOR GENERAL

ANALYSIS

I. ‘THE FRAMING OF INDIA’S CONSTITUTION’ BY B. SHIVARAO

J. THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES

K. THE USE OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES .......................................................................... 49

L. CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES INCLUDING THE LIGHT SHED BY THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES

M. ARTICLES IN THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH EMPLOY THE WORDS ‘SUBJECT TO ANY LAW’ TO BE MADE BY PARLIAMENT AS CONTAINED IN ARTICLE 324

N. DEVELOPMENTS AFTER 26 JANUARY 1950; THE CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS AND THE ELECTION COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE APPOINTED AND THEIR TERMS

O. A CLOSER LOOK AT S.S. DANOA (SUPRA), THE 1991 ACT AND T.N. SESHAN (SUPRA)

P. THE CLAMOUR FOR REFORMS

Q. SEPARATION OF POWERS AND JUDICIAL ACTIVISM

R. IS THE RIGHT TO VOTE A STATUTORY RIGHT OR A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT? .......................... 135

S. ARTICLE 326 DEMYSTIFIED

T. DEMOCRACY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTIONS

U. POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND JURISDICTION OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA ............. 191

V. THE IMPACT OF ARTICLE 329(b)

W. PURSUIT OF POWER; A MEANS TO AN END OR AN END IN ITSELF?

X. RULE OF LAW; FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND AN INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION

Y. THE SYMBOLS ORDER; THE MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

Z. INDEPENDENCE; A STERLING AND INDISPENSABLE ATTRIBUTE

THE CONCEPT OF LEGITIMATE POWER OF RECIPROCITY

AA. THE APPOINTMENT OF SHRI ARUN GOEL: A TRIGGER OR A MERE ASIDE?

BB. IS THERE A VACUUM IN ARTICLE 324? SHOULD THE COURT INTERFERE, IF THERE IS ONE?

CC. AN ELECTION COMMISSIONER ENTITLED TO SAME PROTECTION AS GIVEN TO CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER?

DD. REGARDING INDEPENDENT SECRETERIAT/CHARGING EXPENDITURE ON THE CONSOLIDATED FUND OF INDIA

EE. THE FINAL RELIEF

A. THE CASES: THE FOUR WRIT PETITIONS

1. In this clutch of writ petitions maintained under Article 32 of the Constitution, the Court is called upon to consider the true effect of Article 324 and, in particular, Article 324(2) of the Constitution. The said sub-Article reads as follows:

    “324(2) The Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix and the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners shall, subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf by Parliament, be made by the President.”

2. A Bench of two learned Judges of this Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 104 of 2015, passed the following Order on 23.10.2018:

    “I.A. No.2 for amendment of writ petition; raising additional facts, grounds and prayer is allowed.

    The matter relates to what the petitioner perceives to be a requirement of having a full-proof and better system of appointment of members of the Election Commission.

    Having heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Attorney General for India we are of the v


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