New Delhi [India], February 18: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has strongly criticized the process through which the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, was appointed, accusing the Narendra Modi government of undermining the integrity of the electoral process. Gandhi expressed his dissent over the government’s decision to exclude the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, which he argues violates a Supreme Court order.
On February 17, Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the new CEC, succeeding Rajiv Kumar, who is retiring today. Rahul Gandhi, who is part of the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shared his dissent note, describing the selection process as “disrespectful and discourteous.” Gandhi’s note stated, “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.”
The Congress leader went on to underline his responsibility as the Leader of Opposition to uphold the ideals of the Constitution and hold the government accountable for actions he deems detrimental to the democratic processes. “As the LoP, it is my duty to uphold the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the founding leaders of our nation and hold the government to account,” Gandhi said, adding, “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 Congress party had raised concerns earlier, urging the government to delay the selection process given that the issue of the appointment of the CEC was under active consideration by the Supreme Court. The party has criticized the new appointment process, claiming that it could lead to a partisan and non-neutral mechanism for selecting Election Commissioners.
In response to the government’s actions, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi remarked, “The government wants only control but not credibility. The most important thing for the Election Commission is credibility.” He emphasized that the credibility of the Election Commission is paramount and the removal of the Chief Justice from the appointment process undermines its independence.
Gyanesh Kumar, who takes over as CEC after Rajiv Kumar’s retirement, will hold the position until January 26, 2029. As per the process, the President of India appoints the CEC and Election Commissioners based on recommendations made by a selection committee. However, the controversy surrounding the composition of this committee and the exclusion of the Chief Justice from it remains a point of contention.