Election Commission of India must function independently and not be influenced by political processes, Supreme Court Justice B V Nagarathna said on Saturday. She mentioned the importance of the autonomy of other central agencies, too, apart from the poll body.
Speaking at the 1st Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture on the theme “Constitutionalism beyond Rights: Why Structure Matters” at Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Justice Nagarathna highlighted that the autonomy of specialized agencies is fundamental to maintaining democratic governance. She noted that the Constitution deliberately established such institutions to oversee domains where the ordinary political process may be insufficient to ensure neutrality.
“It is of utmost importance that these institutions function independently and not to be influenced by political processes,” Justice Nagarathna stated. She further emphasized that the integrity of the electoral process, governed by Article 324, is vital as elections serve as the primary mechanism through which political authority is constituted in a democracy.
“The unmistakable lesson of history is that constitutional collapse occurs through the disabling of its structure and the violation of rights merely follows,” she cautioned. Justice Nagarathna, who is in line to become the Chief Justice of India in September 2027, concluded that the Constitution is not self-sustaining and must be preserved through “institutional fidelity” and restraint in the exercise of public power.
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