All 3 Election Commissioners to write officers ACRs

According to a Supreme Court judgment,the three Election Commissioners in the poll panel are co-equals and have equal voting powers,but the CEC has certain exclusive administrative powers. The Election Commissioners,however,cannot be removed without the recommendation of the CEC a clause that attracted much legal scrutiny during the last few months of Gopalaswamis tenure.

The present move,said Election Commission authorities,will reinforce the idea of the three Election Commissioners being co-equals. CEC Navin B Chawla said: The present move is aimed at institutionalising the principle of equalisation amongst the three Election Commissioners.

Old-timers sounded a caveat,though. During the days of former chief election commissioner T N Seshan,there were differences between G V G Krishnamurthy and him over this something that can lead to practical problems in matters as routine as officers ACRs, said a former Election Commission functionary. EC authorities,however,countered the argument. There is a conscious attempt to promote the principle of equalisation among the three Election Commissioners,something that is seen in the three Commissioners having daily meetings at 11 am.