Congress Criticizes Appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner, Calls Decision 'Hasty'

The Congress party has sharply criticized the Centre's recent appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), calling the decision "hastily taken" and questioning the timing of the announcement. Alleging that the move was made to bypass scrutiny by the Supreme Court, Congress leaders argue that the ruling BJP government is attempting to sidestep a critical review of the process.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal voiced his concerns on social media, emphasizing that the decision undermines the impartiality of the election process. “This goes against the spirit of our Constitution and what the Supreme Court has reiterated in several rulings. 

For the electoral process to maintain its sanctity, the CEC must be an impartial figure,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) late Monday night.

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Venugopal, a senior leader in the party, pointed to recent amendments to the law governing the appointment of election commissioners. Under the new framework, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) no longer plays a role in the selection panel, a change Venugopal believes was made to expedite the appointment process. 

He further criticized the government for acting quickly to appoint Kumar before the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing on February 19, where it is expected to deliberate on the constitutionality of the changes to the panel’s structure.

“Their decision to hastily hold the meeting today and appoint the new EC shows they are keen to circumvent the Supreme Court's scrutiny,” Venugopal said. He accused the ruling regime of "destroying the electoral process" and bending the rules to suit its own interests. 

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The Congress leader also pointed to various electoral concerns, including allegations of tampered voter lists and irregularities with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which have fueled widespread skepticism about the fairness of elections under the current government.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a member of the selection panel, also voiced his opposition to the timing of the appointment. He submitted a formal dissent note during the panel's meeting, which was convened at the Prime Minister’s Office, with Home Minister Amit Shah also in attendance. 

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Gandhi had previously insisted that the decision to appoint the new CEC should have been postponed until after the Supreme Court’s hearing.

Who is Gyanesh Kumar?

Gyanesh Kumar, the newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner, is a retired Kerala cadre IAS officer from the 1988 batch. Before his appointment to the Election Commission in 2024, he served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, overseeing critical portfolios under the Amit Shah-led home ministry. 

Kumar had a significant role within the Ministry of Home Affairs, where he served as Joint Secretary and later Additional Secretary, notably heading the Jammu & Kashmir desk during the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Gyanesh Kumar's appointment as Election Commissioner came after a selection panel proposed his name, despite objections raised by Rahul Gandhi over the process and timing. The controversy surrounding his appointment raises critical questions about the integrity and transparency of the election commission’s structure, as well as the broader implications for the electoral system's credibility.

The unfolding developments highlight an ongoing tension between the ruling government and opposition parties over the independence of key constitutional bodies. As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in, the public’s confidence in the electoral process hangs in the balance.

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