‘Alarming trend’: Top court

The ‘silence of the Constitution’ on how to pick election commissioners has been exploited, the apex court said

“After TN Seshan (who was CEC between 1990 and 1996), the slide began when no person has been given a full term. What the government has been doing is that because it knows the date of birth, it ensures that anyone who is appointed as the CEC does not get his full six years...

Be it the UPA govt or this government, this has been a trend.” “This is how the silences of the Constitution can be exploited. There is no law, no check. Everyone has used it to their interest... Pick up someone and give him a highly truncated tenure. He is obligated; does your bidding... we are not saying so but it looks like that.”