YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said his party made a “mistake” by supporting the 2023 legislation governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner. According to the newspaper, his reversal prompted criticism on Monday from leaders of Andhra Pradesh’s ruling TDP and BJP, who questioned the timing and motivation behind his position.
Reddy told a press conference on Sunday that ruling parties should not choose either the CEC or State Election Commissioners. He argued that appointments should instead be handled by an independent and neutral institution. The report quoted him as saying, “An examiner cannot be appointed by the student,” while contending that the appointment method could expose even an honest commissioner to criticism.
The former chief minister proposed a selection panel consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India, with equal voting rights. Reddy said the current arrangement gives two votes to the government side — one to the Prime Minister and another to a nominated Union Cabinet minister — while the Opposition leader has one.
Reddy described the CJI’s exclusion as a systemic flaw and said the YSRCP had recognised its error after backing the legislation. He also called for a comparable neutral mechanism for State Election Commissions, arguing that chief ministers and governing parties should not control those appointments.
TDP leader N Vijay Kumar reportedly accused Reddy of adopting the position for “political convenience”, reported Deccan Chronicle. Kumar claimed that the YSRCP supported the legislation while it held power but challenged the appointment system after losing the elections. He also reportedly questioned Reddy’s record on the State Election Commission during the YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024.
Kumar further alleged that the former YSRCP government used an ordinance to remove then state election commissioner N Ramesh Kumar. He reportedly claimed it later appointed retired chief secretary Nilam Sawhney, who had served as Reddy’s political adviser, without consulting then Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu. These allegations and the circumstances surrounding the appointments require independent verification.
BJP leader B Vinusha Reddy also questioned why the YSRCP had supported the 2023 law before expressing regret, Deccan Chronicle reported. According to the newspaper, she said Parliament had acted within its legislative authority in creating a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader and a Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister. She urged Jagan to pursue political disagreements through constitutional processes, elections and debate.