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Jagan regrets backing CEC appointment law, Stalin distances DMK from Congress

The 2023 legislation replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Union minister nominated by the Prime Minister on the CEC selection panel, comprising the Prime Minister, a Union minister and the Leader of the Opposition, thereby giving the ruling side a two-to-one majority.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy regretted his party’s support for the BJP government’s CEC appointment law, while DMK chief M.K. Stalin backed protests seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s dismissal but ruled out an alliance with the Congress, branding it a party of “backstabbers”.

Speaking at a press conference on October 18, Jagan admitted that his party had made a mistake by supporting the legislation, as reported by The News Minute, and argued that those in power should not have the exclusive advantage in appointing the authority responsible for overseeing elections.

“Both the State Election Commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioners should not be nominated by the ruling parties,” he said, adding that an examiner could not be appointed by a student.

The 2023 legislation changed the composition of the selection committee, replacing the Chief Justice of India with a Union minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The panel now comprises the Prime Minister, a Union minister and the Leader of the Opposition, thereby giving the ruling side two votes against one held by the Opposition.

Jagan maintained that the exclusion of the Chief Justice had weakened the system’s independence, marking a shift in the YSR Congress’s earlier position. The party had backed the legislation in Parliament, although it reportedly supported a return to ballot papers during a Lok Sabha discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar in December 2025.

Meanwhile, the DMK has backed the demand for Kumar’s dismissal as part of the ongoing protests, but Stalin ruled out aligning with the Congress, citing its decision to ally with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu, according to the Deccan Herald.

The decision followed a meeting of DMK MPs chaired by Stalin in Chennai. The party also resolved to petition President Droupadi Murmu over alleged discrepancies in the SIR exercise and demand that future elections be conducted using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines.

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