The Congress has strongly condemned the Centre’s notification appointing Gyanesh Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), calling it a “hastily taken decision” aimed at bypassing judicial scrutiny. The party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of deliberately circumventing the Supreme Court’s review of the selection process.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, in a statement on social media platform X, asserted that the move undermines constitutional principles and the Supreme Court’s consistent emphasis on ensuring impartiality in the electoral process.
“This decision contradicts the spirit of our Constitution and what has been reiterated by the Supreme Court in multiple judgments—that the Chief Election Commissioner must be an impartial stakeholder,” Venugopal stated.
Concerns Over Amendments to the Selection Process
The Congress leader also criticized recent legislative amendments that removed the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the panel responsible for selecting the CEC. Venugopal contended that the government should have awaited the Supreme Court’s hearing on February 19 before proceeding with the appointment.
“Their decision to hurriedly convene a meeting and finalize the appointment before the court’s ruling indicates a clear intent to evade judicial scrutiny,” he added.
He further alleged that such actions reinforce concerns about electoral integrity, citing past controversies such as alleged irregularities in voter lists, scheduling decisions favoring the ruling party, and concerns over Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) security.
“As Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi rightly pointed out, this decision should have been put on hold until the Supreme Court had adjudicated on the matter,” Venugopal remarked.
Dissent Within the Selection Panel
The appointment of Gyanesh Kumar was formalized shortly after the selection panel, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recommended his name. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition and a member of the selection panel, formally objected to the timing of the decision, submitting an official dissent note.
Profile: Gyanesh Kumar
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Kerala cadre, most recently served as Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation before being appointed as an Election Commissioner in 2024. Prior to this, he spent five years in the Ministry of Home Affairs, initially as a Joint Secretary (2016–2018) and later as an Additional Secretary (2018–2021). During his tenure, he played a key role in the government’s handling of Jammu & Kashmir affairs, particularly during the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
His elevation to the role of Chief Election Commissioner comes amidst an ongoing legal and political debate over the selection process, further intensifying scrutiny over the government’s approach to electoral oversight.
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