Election Commission of India Marks 75 Years

Recently, the Election Commission of India celebrated the 75th year of its establishment.

It is an autonomous constitutional body that overlooks the election process of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India. It also administers the election processes to the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
It was established on January 25th, 1950 (National Voters’ Day).
Note: ECI does not administer the election processes of panchayats and municipalities in the states; rather, it is taken care of by the State Election Commission.
Article 324: Article 324 of the Indian Constitution outlines the provisions of the Election Commission to ensure its independent and impartial functioning.

Lack of Statutory backing: The ECI lacks the required legal backing to enforce internal democracy within political parties. It can only advise the political parties but cannot enforce anything on them.
Favouritism: Allegations have been made against the ECI for its bias towards particular political parties.
Violation of model code of conduct: Several instances have come to light where few political parties and candidates have violated the model code of conduct, putting ECI’s moral compass in question.
Independence and impartiality: ECI must maintain a huge distance from the influence of political parties. However, allegations regarding the impartiality of the Commission have surfaced, endangering public trust in the electoral process.

Reforms: Amendments should be brought in to make ECI more independent and free from political interference.
Implement security plans: Collaborations should be made with law enforcement agencies to ensure voters trust and to uphold the election spirit in the political parties and their candidates.
Model code of conduct: The candidates and the political parties must abide by the Model code of conduct. Moreover, strict actions should be taken against those who do not follow them.

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