The committee responsible for selecting a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) convened on Monday, despite the Congress party’s request to postpone the meeting until the Supreme Court’s decision on the panel’s constitution, scheduled for Wednesday. The present committee consist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.according to Congress sources.they objected during the meeting.
Late in the evening of Monday, Gyanesh Kumar was chosen as the new CEC. His tenure shall start on Wednesday and will end prior to the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. Moreover, the Chief Secretary of Haryana, Vivek Joshi, has been made an election commissioner. Kumar, an IAS of Kerala cadre, who retired as Union Cooperation Secretary before joining the Election Commission (EC) on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, is now a retiree. He previously served as Joint Secretary in the Jammu and Kashmir division of the Home Ministry when the state’s special status was revoked. Later, he was appointed as Additional Secretary in charge of handling the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict and the formation of a trust for the construction of the Ram temple.
The choice of the next CEC follows the exit of Rajiv Kumar on Monday. The Congress party has raised objections on the composition of the selection panel and is demanding the insertion of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to ensure its neutrality. The Supreme Court is prepared to decide on the petitions seeking the inclusion of CJI, which the opposition alleges will avoid state control in the selection process.
Congress party treasurer Ajay Maken criticized the government’s decision to proceed with the meeting, stating, “The Congress party believes that when the Supreme Court has indicated that it will hear this case and pronounce a verdict on how this committee should be constituted on the 19th, today’s meeting should have been postponed.”.
Until just 2 years ago, the election commissioners were appointed by a committee of, the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Law Minister, from among the senior-most commissioners, it was, naturally, customary to appoint the senior-most commissioner as the CEC. However, in March 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the selection panel should consist of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the CJI until the Centre enacted a formal law on the subject.
Next, the government passed new legislation which replaced the CJI with a cabinet minister appointed by the Prime Minister thereby bestowing the power to the government to hold majority in the selection process. The Congress has forcefully resisted this alteration for the reason that it is controversial in that it would be a breach to the neutrality of the Election Commission.
Following the committee meeting, Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi accused the Centre of manipulating the selection process, stating that the government “wanted to ensure a committee that will only allow the appointment of such candidates that will never threaten its existence.”.
Speaking at his exit from the CEC, outgoing CEC Rajiv Kumar appealed to political parties to maintain accountability, and constructively debate issues. He also expressed concern over misleading narratives during election periods, stating, “The rising trend of misleading narratives during peak polling or counting hours is a deliberate attempt to distort facts and mislead voters. Casting doubt on outcomes after active and full participation in the process is undesirable.”
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