New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on whether pleas challenging the validity of the 2023 law relating to the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners, which dropped the CJI from the selection panel for Election Commissioners, should be referred to a larger five-judge bench.

A division bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma differed on the question. While Justice Datta rejected the plea for reference to a larger bench, Justice Sharma held that the issue warranted consideration by a Constitution bench.

The bench, however, unanimously directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of India for considering the constitution of...