New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition and Congress MP, has sharply criticized the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), accusing the Modi government of flouting a Supreme Court ruling and removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel.
In a lengthy post on the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi stated, “During the selection committee meeting for the next Election Commissioner, I submitted a dissent note to the Prime Minister and Home Minister, highlighting that the key element of an independent Election Commission, free from political interference, is the process of selecting the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner.”
He went on to say, “By disregarding the Supreme Court’s order and excluding the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi government has deepened the concerns of millions of voters about the credibility of our electoral process.”
Gandhi reaffirmed his responsibility as Leader of Opposition, saying, “As the LoP, it is my duty to uphold the values championed by Babasaheb Ambedkar and our nation’s founding leaders and hold the government accountable.”
He also criticized the timing of the decision, adding, “It is both disrespectful and inconsiderate for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to appoint the new CEC, while the very structure of the committee and the process are under challenge in the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter in less than forty-eight hours.”
Gyanesh Kumar, a senior IAS officer from Kerala (1988 batch), replaces Rajiv Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner. Kumar will oversee key upcoming elections, including the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, as well as elections in West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu next year.
Kumar’s appointment is the first under the new Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The law requires a committee headed by the Law Minister to shortlist candidates, with a final decision made by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and a Cabinet Minister.
This new law is currently being contested in the Supreme Court, with concerns that including a Cabinet Minister in the selection committee, rather than the Chief Justice of India, compromises the neutrality of the process.
Despite objections from the Congress party, which urged postponement of the meeting until after the Supreme Court hearing, the government proceeded with the appointment. Congress emphasized that their legal team also supported this request for delay.
Traditionally, the President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner based on the advice of the Prime Minister, with the appointee being the senior-most of the two remaining Election Commissioners.
