AJIT SINGH vs CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER OF INDIA & ORS.

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Election Commission (Recruitment of Staff) Rules, 1974, as amended in 1979, which conferred the Chief Election Commissioner with the authority to appoint his Private Secretary without prior consultation with the U.P.S.C. The Court ruled that the amendment was not mala fide or arbitrary, and it emphasized the importance of free and fair elections under Article 324 of the Constitution. The appellant's claim for appointment was dismissed, affirming the High Court's directive for consideration of his case for appointment from September 1, 1979, but ultimately rejecting his appeal for further relief.