Lok Sabha elections 2024: What is the Election Commission of India? Details about the poll body
ECI office in New Delhi (File pic)
The dates of the Lok Sabha elections in India were announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday (Mar 16). The elections will be held in seven phases from April 19, and the counting of votes will be on June 4.
In the run-up to the dates being announced, political parties already named their candidates for the elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India released two lists of candidates who will be contesting the elections. The main opposition party Congress also released two lists of candidates.
The ECI has been supervising all developments in the run-up to the elections and also when the elections happen and conclude. So what is the ECI, and what are its functions as India's poll body?
History
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The ECI was established under the Indian Constitution on January 25, 1950. Initially, the ECI only had a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), but it currently comprises the CEC and two election commissioners. A few days back, a panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new election commissioners. Kumar and Sandhu took charge of the office on Friday.
According to ECI's website, for the very first time, two additional commissioners were appointed on October 16, 1989, but they only had a tenure till January 1, 1990. "Later, on October 1, 1993, two additional Election Commissioners were appointed. The concept of multi-member Commission has been in operation since then, with decision-making power by majority vote," the website states.
A look at the appointment of officials
The President of India appoints the CEC and the election commissioners. They have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to judges of the Supreme Court.
Functions of the ECI
The ECI is responsible for administering Union and State election processes in the country. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President.
It determines the budget setup for polling processes. The commission also issues symbols to political parties and recognises the parties for elections at any level- national, regional, or state.