New Delhi:
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has slammed the centre’s ‘midnight decision’ to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner, calling his nomination a ‘violation of the Supreme Court order (by) removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee”.
Mr Gandhi, part of that three-member panel, as are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, had last night objected to picking a new CEC at this time, pointing out a challenge to the law governing his/her selection is to be heard by the Supreme Court this week.
The Congress leader had shared a dissent note, which he posted on X today.
However, sources later told NDTV the centre planned to press on regardless, since halting the process would mean leaving the key post vacant. Hours later Mr Kumar was named as the new CEC, replacing Rajiv Kumar. And, this morning Mr Gandhi went on the warpath.
“During the meeting of the committee to select the next (Chief) Election Commissioner, I presented a dissent note to the PM and HM that stated: ‘The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission… free from executive interference… is the process of choosing the Election Commissioner and Chief Election Commissioner.”
During the meeting of the committee to select the next Election Commissioner, I presented a dissent note to the PM and HM, that stated: The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission free from executive interference is the process of choosing the Election… pic.twitter.com/JeL9WSfq3X
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 18, 2025
“By violating the Supreme Court order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi government has exacerbated the concerns of hundreds of millions of voters over the integrity of our electoral process,” Mr Gandhi said on X.
“As the LoP (Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha), it is my duty to uphold the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the founding leaders of our nation and hold the government to account.”
READ | “Can’t Operate In Ego”: Congress On Meet To Select New Poll Body Chief
“It is both disrespectful and discourteous for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to select the new CEC, when the very composition of the committee and the process is being challenged in the Supreme Court and is due to be heard in less than forty-eight hours.”
The row over the appointment of the next CEC stems from a controversial change in the law, which now says he/she will be selected by a panel consisting of the PM, a cabinet minister (in this case, the HM) and the Leader of the Opposition. Critics argue this gives the centre an edge in selecting the individual who will oversee conduct of nearly two dozen state elections over the next four years.
READ | Gyanesh Kumar Appointed New Chief Election Commissioner
This edge, critics, including the opposition parties, have argued and will argue before the Supreme Court this week, robs the CEC selection panel of even the appearance of neutrality.
This contentious new law was pushed through by the government in 2023 after the Supreme Court ruled the selection committee should consist of the PM, the LoP, and the Chief Justice.
The top court is expected to hear this case on February 22.
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