NationalSaturday, 3 October 2026·The Hindu - National
Election Commission became a three-member body in 1993; key constitutional and legal milestones
The Election Commission moved from a single-member body to a three-member body on October 1, 1993, after an ordinance and amendment act gave Election Commissioners coordinate powers.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On October 1, 1993, the President appointed M.S. Gill and G.V.G. Krishnamurthy as Election Commissioners, making the Election Commission of India a three-member body under an ordinance later turned into an amendment act with retrospective effect.
Key specifics
- India’s first general election was held in 1951-52 during Sukumar Sen’s tenure.
- Until October 16, 1986, the Election Commission had only one member: the Chief Election Commissioner.
- In October 1989, V.S. Seigell and Mr. Dhanoa were appointed Election Commissioners under R.V.S. Peri Sastry.
- The Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (Condition of Service) Amendment Act gave coordinate powers to Election Commissioners.
- The Supreme Court in S.S. Dhanoa v. Union of India (1991) said the President could determine the number of Election Commissioners.
Exam lens
Question type: Polity and constitutional bodies MCQ, Election Commission composition, 1951-52 first election, 1993 three-member body, and 1991 Dhanoa case. TNPSC may ask when the Election Commission became a multi-member body or which case discussed the President’s discretion.