Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC): The President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner. However, the Constitution does not prescribe any specific qualifications for the CEC or other Election Commissioners. This lack of explicit qualifications is a crucial point often tested in exams.
Removal of CEC: The Chief Election Commissioner enjoys a status equivalent to that of a judge of the Supreme Court of India. Consequently, the procedure for his removal is the same as that for a Supreme Court judge, which involves impeachment by both Houses of Parliament based on proven misbehaviour or incapacity. The Election Commission cannot remove the CEC without adhering to this constitutional safeguard.
Mandate of the Election Commission: The Election Commission of India is a constitutional body responsible for conducting elections to various high offices. Its mandate includes supervising, directing, and controlling elections to:
The President of India
The Vice-President of India
Both the Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)
The State Legislatures (Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad)
Therefore, the statement that the EC supervises elections *only* to Lok Sabha is incorrect. It has a much broader scope of authority.
Constitutional Basis: The Election Commission of India is established under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, making it a permanent and independent body.
Other Powers: The EC is also empowered to conduct elections to the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils. It also plays a role in advising the President on disqualifications of MPs and MLAs
