Election Commission of India (ECI)

• • Power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India and the office of vice president of India is vested with the election commission.

  • State Election Commission deals with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states.

• Composition:

  • The Election Commission of India consists of the chief election commissioner and a number of other election commissioners, as fixed by the President.

  • Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner.

  • It currently consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

• Constitutional Provisions (Article 324 to Article 329 (Part XV)) 

  • Article 324: Entails the provisions related to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.

    • The President of India appoints the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.

    • President also determines the conditions of service and tenure of office of the election commissioners and the regional commissioners.

    • The Constitution has not prescribed the qualifications (legal, educational, administrative or judicial) of the members of the Election Commission.

  • Article 325: No person to be ineligible for inclusion in, or to claim to be included in a special electoral roll on the ground of religion, race, caste or sex.

  • Article 326: Elections to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of States to be on the basis of adult suffrage.

  • Article 327: Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to legislature.

  • Article 328: Power of Legislature of a State to make provision with respect to elections to such Legislature.

  • Article 329: Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters.