YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the YSRCP had erred by backing a system that permits the ruling party to pick Election Commissioners, arguing that such appointments must be made by an independent body. He likened the setup to a student choosing their own examiner, a move he said undermines electoral integrity.
The 2023 amendment, introduced by the Modi‑led government, added the Leader of the Opposition to the selection committee, a change that Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce, had earlier criticised as a dilution of the Election Commission’s autonomy. Goyal said the previous process left the government solely in charge and that the new law, while a step forward, still gave the Prime Minister disproportionate influence.
Massive street protests have erupted across major Indian cities and in London’s Trafalgar Square. The Opposition INDIA coalition, student groups, and civil society organisations have taken to the roads, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision exercise on electoral rolls.
In Hyderabad, demonstrators held banners reading "Free Elections, Free India" and marched past the State Assembly, while in London, a coalition of Indian diaspora activists gathered outside the High Commission to voice their concerns.
Jagan has called for a parliamentary debate on revising appointment procedures, signalling that the issue will be tabled in the Lok Sabha next month. Meanwhile, the protests continue to intensify, putting pressure on the central government to address the crisis in electoral governance.