Powers and Functions of the ECI, Autonomy of ECI

The Election Commission can postpone a vote in an entire constituency, cancel a result, or bar a sitting Chief Minister's campaign speech — all without asking the government's permission first. That kind of power over the very people who form the government is unusual, and it exists precisely because elections cannot be trusted to the people they will decide the fate of.

In two minutes

The Election Commission of India exercises wide powers over every stage of the electoral process — preparing electoral rolls, conducting elections, enforcing the Model Code of Conduct, and recognising political parties and symbols — and its autonomy from executive control is what makes those powers meaningful rather than merely nominal.

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