New Delhi [India]: Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma on Monday criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opposing the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection committee responsible for appointing Election Commissioners. Sarma called Gandhi’s stance “ironic,” pointing out that Congress governments in the past appointed Election Commissioners without any transparency.
“Rahul Gandhi’s call for a transparent selection of Election Commissioners involving the Chief Justice of India is ironic, given that during Congress rule, appointments were made solely by the ruling government without any transparency,” Sarma posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Sarma Accuses Congress of Hypocrisy
The Assam CM accused Gandhi of “hypocrisy,” arguing that Congress is now advocating for transparency despite failing to introduce such reforms while in power.
“If the Congress truly believed in democratic integrity, why didn’t they implement these reforms in their decades of power? This hypocrisy highlights their political posturing—preaching transparency now after years of opaque governance. The people of India can no longer be misled by such double standards. Practice what you preach before demanding trust,” Sarma said.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations Against Modi Government
On Monday, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, strongly criticized the Modi government, questioning the removal of the CJI from the selection committee for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners. Gandhi called it a “calculated strategy.”
“The rules have been changed. The Election Commissioner used to be chosen by the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice was removed from that committee. This is a question to the Prime Minister—why was the Chief Justice removed from the committee?” Gandhi asked in Parliament.
Gandhi was referring to the Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
New Appointment Process Explained
Under Section 7 of the Act, the CEC and other Election Commissioners are now appointed by the President based on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of:
- The Prime Minister
- The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
- A Union Cabinet Minister (appointed by the PM)
Rahul Gandhi Raises Concerns Over Election Timing
Gandhi also alleged that removing the CJI from the panel was a deliberate move by the government. He claimed that the Lok Sabha election dates had been postponed and questioned the recent appointments of two new Election Commissioners just before the general elections.