Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday, 18 October publicly admitted regret over his party's support for the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, arguing that no ruling party — including the current Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition in Andhra Pradesh — should control the selection of election commissioners.

What Jagan Said and Why

Speaking at a press conference in Tadepalli, Reddy acknowledged that YSRCP had backed the legislation when in power at the Centre, but said the party now views that decision as a mistake. 'Earlier at the Centre, YSRCP supported the system wherein the ruling party can nominate the Election Commissioner but today we are regretting the mistake we made by supporting it,' he said.

He framed the critique in structural terms: 'An examiner cannot be appointed by the student. No matter how sincere the examiner is, he has to face criticism if appointment is not done by a neutral body.'

The Flaw He Identified in the Current Law

Reddy pointed to a specific imbalance embedded in the 2023 Act: under the current selection panel, the Prime Minister and a minister nominated by the Prime Minister hold two votes, while the Leader of the Opposition holds one vote. 'Since two votes go in favour of one person, he will be a nominee of the government. This is a flaw in the system. We realised this after we made the mistake,' the YSRCP chief said.

He demanded a return to the earlier appointment framework — a three-member panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India — arguing that the inclusion of the Chief Justice would ensure genuine neutrality.

Demand Extended to State Election Commissioner

Reddy also demanded parallel reforms at the state level. He said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the TDP should not retain the power to appoint the State Election Commissioner (SEC). He alleged that SEC Anil Chandra Punetha — appointed by Naidu — was acting on the Chief Minister's directions.

The remarks came shortly after Reddy met SEC Punetha to formally complain about what he described as attempts by the ruling TDP-led coalition to prevent YSRCP candidates from filing nomination papers for the upcoming local body polls.

Context: A Law YSRCP Once Championed

The 2023 Act replaced a decades-old convention under which the CEC appointment panel included the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court had, in a landmark 2023 ruling, directed Parliament to legislate on the matter; the resulting law was criticised by the Opposition at the time for removing judicial oversight. YSRCP's support for the legislation was notable given its position as a key ally in certain parliamentary votes. Reddy's admission of regret is significant because it marks one of the few instances of a former ruling-party partner publicly walking back support for the law.

Notably, this reversal comes as YSRCP faces what it describes as administrative obstruction ahead of local elections — lending a pointed political backdrop to what Reddy framed as a principled demand for institutional reform.