TN Seshan died. He was so effective that they made the EC a 3 member body after his term to control it better.
Politicians are always afraid of independent institutions. So they will subvert, buy, threaten or do all of the above to subdue them. Today’s India is an example of that. Each and every independent institution has been browbeaten or coopted by this government.
@Shantanub Frmr CEC once said, “If the history of EC is written, it has to be divided into 2 parts: pre-Seshan era where the Commission functioned as a department of the govt and the post-Seshan era when the Commission became more independent,” He earned his laurels from making the executive realise the power of a constitutional body Though there were multiple rules in place already when he was appointed, it was he who was unfazed by political backlash & criticism to enforce them
