SC to hear pleas over CEC appointment on Feb 19

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed February 19 to hear a batch of pleas against the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners under the 2023 law, saying if anything happens in the interregnum, the consequences are bound to follow.

- Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty @ New Delhi

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was told by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, that earlier the pleas were scheduled to be heard on Wednesday but now they have been listed for February 19.

Bhushan said the urgency in the matter is that CEV Rajiv Kumar is scheduled to superannuate on February 18 and the government may appoint the new CEC under the 2023 law, which is under challenge.

The bench said, "We are fixing the matter for hearing on February 19. If anything happens in the interregnum, consequences are bound to follow."

Bhushan said the apex court registry has informed them that as Justice Kant was unwell, the matters were posted for hearing on February 19.