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Election Commission of India



About Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body responsible for administering elections in India according to the rules and regulations mentioned in the Constitution of India. It was established on January 25, 1950 with an aim to define and control the process for elections conducted at various levels: Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice President of India. In other words, the ECI ensures smooth and successful functioning of the democracy.


Role of Election Commission of India

In its assigned role, the most crucial challenge before the Election Commission of India is to implement norms and the Model Code of Conduct to ensure free and fair elections in the country. Its existence and independence are necessitated by history, which has shown that democratic elections are not free from sabotage. Towards this end, it has been empowered to oversee political parties and candidates and take appropriate action in case of violations.

Structure of Election Commission of India

The secretariat of the Commission has 300 officials, and is located in New Delhi. The Deputy Election Commissioners and Director Generals are the senior-most officers in the secretariat. The President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner of India, who serves for six years and must retire at the age of 65. The Commissioner is generally a member of the Civil Services, and more often, of the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) or the Indian Revenue Services (IRS). He can be removed from his office through the process of impeachment, which needs to be carried out in the Parliament. The President of India can remove the other officers on the Chief Commissioner's recommendation.

Functions and Powers of Election Commission of India

The main functions of the Election Commission are as follows:
  • The Election Commission of India is considered the custodian of free and fair elections.
  • It issues the Model Code of Conduct in every election for political parties and candidates so that the dignity of democracy is maintained.
  • It regulates political parties and registers them for being eligible to contest elections.
  • It publishes the allowed limits of campaign expenditure per candidate to all the political parties, and also monitors the same.
  • The political parties must submit their annual reports to the ECI for getting tax benefit on contributions.
  • It ensures that all the political parties regularly submit their audited financial reports.
Some of the powers wielded by the Election Commission are as follows:
  • The Commission can suppress the results of opinion polls if it deems such an action fit for the cause of democracy.
  • The Commission can advise for disqualification of members after the elections if it thinks they have violated certain guidelines.
  • In case, a candidate is found guilty of corrupt practices during the elections, the Supreme Court and High Courts consult the Commission.
  • The Commission can suspend candidates who fail to submit their election expense accounts timely.

New Initiatives taken by Election Commission

In order to bring about various improvements and reforms in the election procedure, the ECI has taken numerous steps. Some of them are as follows:
  • Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were introduced to improve reliability and efficiency. With the help of EVMs, chances of any discrepancies in terms of counting of ballots are almost nil. Moreover, the introduction of technology has just made a quick verdict possible as it just takes three to four days to declare the results.
  • The website of the ECI was launched on February 28, 1998 to provide accurate information and instant results of the elections.
  • Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) were issued in 1993 to prevent electoral fraud. From the 2004 elections, these were made mandatory.
A few more initiatives taken in recent years by the ECI are:
  • New guidelines for broadcasting on State-owned electronic media.
  • Inspection of instances of criminalisation in politics.
  • Computerised electoral rolls.
  • Simplification of account maintenance and filing.
  • Measures for better enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
  • An additional Model Code of Conduct, applicable only to news media, is yet to be formulated to ensure free, fair and unbiased media coverage of elections in India.

Budget & Expenses

The Election Commission of India and the Union Finance Ministry finalise the budget for the former's Secretariat, which is liable for an independent budget. The recommendations of the Election Commission are generally upheld by the Ministry of Finance. The concerned states and the Union Territories have to manage the expenses of elections being held, but it is the Union Government who bears the expenses of the Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections entirely. In case of the legislative assembly elections, the concerned State bears the expenses. If the Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) and the assembly elections are taking place at the same time, the gross expenditure is equally shared amongst the Union Government and the concerned state(s).

Address and Contact details

Election Commission of India
Nirvachan Sadan
Ashoka Road, New Delhi 110001
Tel: 011-23717391
Fax: 011-23713412
Email: [email protected]
Election Commission of India Official Website : http://eci.nic.in/


Contact Details of Election Commissioners of India are:

Mr. Sunil Arora is the present Chief Election Commissioner of India.

NameDesignationEmailOffice No.Office Fax
Mr. Sunil Arora Election CommissionerN/A 23052323,2305242423052525
Mr. Vijay Kumar DevDeputy Election CommissionerN/A2305213323052157
Mr. Sandeep Saxena Deputy Election CommissionerN/A23052023,2305202423052025
Mr. Umesh SinhaDeputy Election CommissionerN/A23052081,2305222623052227
Mr. Sudeep JainDeputy Election CommissionerN/A2305223223052234
Mr. Dilip SharmaDirector GeneralN/A23052032,23052093 N/A
Mr. Dhirendra OjhaDirector GeneralN/A2305201523052203


List of Former Chief Election Commissioners of India

S.No.NameTenure
1Om Prakash RawatJan 23, 2018 to 1 Dec, 2018
2Achal Kumar JyotJuly 6, 2017 to Jan 23, 2018
3Nasim ZaidiJan 19, 2015 to July 5, 2017
4H. S. BrahmaJan 16, 2015 to Apr 18, 2015
5V. S. SampathJun 11, 2012 to Jan 15, 2015
6S. Y. QuraishiJul 30, 2010 to Jun 10, 2012
7Navin ChawlaApr 21, 2009 to Jul 29, 2010
8N. GopalaswamiJun 30, 2006 to Apr 20, 2009
9B. B. TandonMay 16, 2005 to Jun 29, 2006
10T. S. KrishnamurthyFeb 8, 2004 to May 15, 2005
11J. M. LyngdohJun 14, 2001 to Feb 7, 2004
12M. S. GillDec 12, 1996 to Jun 13, 2001
13T. N. SeshanDec 12, 1990 to Dec 11, 1996
14V. S. RamadeviNov 26, 1990 to Dec 11, 1990
15R. V. S. Peri SastriJan 1, 1986 to Nov 25, 1990
16R. K. TrivediJun 18, 1982 to Dec 31, 1985
17S. L. ShakdharJun 18, 1977 to Jun 17, 1982
18T. SwaminathanFeb 7, 1973 to Jun 17, 1977
19Nagendra SinghOct 1, 1972 to Feb 6, 1973
20S. P. Sen VermaOct 1, 1967 to Sep 30, 1972
21Kalyan SundaramDec 20, 1958 to Sep 30, 1967
22Sukumar SenMar 21, 1950 to Dec 19, 1958



State Election Commissions of India
Andhra Pradesh ECMaharashtra ECHaryana ECSikkim EC
Arunachal Pradesh ECMeghalaya ECJammu and Kashmir ECTelangana EC
Bihar ECMizoram ECJharkhand ECTripura EC
Chhattisgarh ECNagaland ECKarnataka ECUttarakhand EC
Delhi ECOdisha ECKerala ECUttar Pradesh EC
Goa ECPunjab ECMadhya Pradesh ECWest Bengal EC
Gujarat EC

State's Elections
Andhra PradeshHaryanaManipurRajasthan
Arunachal PradeshHimacahal PradeshMeghalayaSikkim
AssamJammu and KashmirMizoramTamil Nadu
BiharJharkhandNagalandTripura
ChhattisgarhKarnatakaOrissaUttarakhand
DelhiKeralaPunjabUttar Pradesh
GoaMadhya PradeshPondicherryWest Bengal



Last Updated on April 13, 2020