In a significant meeting of the three-member selection committee tasked with appointing India’s Chief Election Commissioner, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, participated on Monday. The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, also included Home Minister Amit Shah. During this meeting with PM Modi and Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi requested postponement of the new Chief Election Commissioner’s appointment until the Supreme Court delivers a final verdict on petitions questioning the absence of the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee.
Last year, the central government passed legislation excluding the Chief Justice of India from the panel responsible for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner. According to the new law, the panel will consist of three members: the Prime Minister as chair, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister. Shortly after the meeting at South Block, the Ministry of Law issued a gazette notification announcing that the President has appointed IAS officer Gyanesh Kumar from the 1988 batch as the new Chief Election Commissioner and 1989 batch IAS officer Vivek Joshi as Election Commissioner.
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Rahul Gandhi Opposes CEC Appointment
KC Venugopal, Congress' General Secretary, stated that during the selection committee meeting chaired by PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi expressed his objection to the new CEC’s appointment. He argued that this appointment contradicts the spirit of the Supreme Court's order affecting the independence and neutrality of the selection panel. Rahul Gandhi presented his objection in the form of a note to the panel. Congress mentioned that the Supreme Court is slated to address petitions challenging the exclusion of the CJI from the CEC appointment panel on February 19. Therefore, the panel’s meeting to choose the new CEC could have been scheduled after the court’s decision. Alternatively, the government could have requested the Supreme Court to expedite the hearing and decision on the matter.
Expectation to Ignore Opposition: Congress
Congress, in its statement, asserted their expectation that the selection panel led by PM Modi would disregard the Leader of the Opposition's objections and proceed with selecting their preferred candidate as the CEC. Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi pointed out that by attempting to exclude the Chief Justice of India, the government is clearly trying to control constitutional institutions and undermine credibility. KC Venugopal added that the overnight notification for appointing the new Chief Election Commissioner contradicts constitutional principles. The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized the necessity for the CEC to be an impartial stakeholder in maintaining the sanctity of the electoral process.
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Current Government Undermining Electoral Process: Congress
KC Venugopal further stated that the central government's actions only confirm doubts expressed by many regarding how the ruling regime is undermining the electoral process and manipulating rules to its advantage. Issues like fraudulent voter lists, electoral schedules favoring the BJP, or concerns about EVM hacking have led to deep-seated suspicions around the government and its appointed CEC. Our leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, rightly advocated that the appointment of the new Chief Election Commissioner should have been postponed until the Supreme Court provided a constitutionally-aligned decision on the matter.
