CJI Khanna recuses from hearing pleas against exclusion of CJI from panel selecting CEC, ECs

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday recused from hearing a batch of pleas challenging the exclusion of the CJI from the panel meant for selecting the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.

At the outset, the CJI, who was sitting on the bench with Justice Sanjay Kumar, told the advocates appearing for the PIL petitioners that he couldn't hear the pleas now.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the previous bench headed by Justice Khanna had passed interim orders in the matter. Justice Khanna, who has become the 51st CJI after former CJI D Y Chandrachud demitted office, said the cases would now be listed before another bench after the winter break.

The CJI asked the Centre and others to file the responses to the PILs in the meantime.

Several persons including an NGO have challenged the validity and sought a stay on the operation of Section 7 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which excludes the CJI from the panel that picks the CEC and ECs.