The Supreme Court Friday ruled no government official or bureaucrat can be appointed as State Election Commissioner.
It said the appointment of any government official or bureaucrat as the State Election Commissioner is a “mockery of the Constitution”.
The court was hearing a matter related to the municipal polls in Goa.
Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, who was heading the three-judge bench, pulled up the Goa government for appointing its Law Secretary as the State Election Commissioner.
Justice Nariman said the independence of the election commission can’t be compromised in a democracy.
The court ordered all the state election commissioners holding additional charge of the state election commissions to step down immediately.
Justice B R Gavai and Justice Hrishikesh Roy are the other two judges on the bench.
