Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) termed Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s objections to the selection of the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as “another attempt to create controversy and peddle propaganda” around the appointment.
Also Read:Gyanesh Kumar named new Chief Election Commissioner
Mr. Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, is part of the selection committee under the new Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. He had, in his dissent note, pointed out that the Supreme Court was still hearing challenges to the new law, and that the meeting could be postponed.
Prior to the promulgation of the new law, the President of India, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appointed Election Commissioners (EC). The new law puts in place a search committee led by the Law Minister and two senior bureaucrats that shortlists five candidates. This list is then sent to a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Union Home Minister.
“Congress party crushed the Constitution at their convenience to serve their political interests,” Mr. Pradhan posted on X. “This latest jig by @Rahul Gandhi is another attempt to create controversy and peddle propaganda on the appointment of CEC. Has Rahul Gandhi forgotten how ECs were appointed during Congress rule? Despite being in power for decades why did Congress governments do nothing to reform the selection mechanism?” he added.
“As a matter of fact, this is the first time that the CEC has been appointed by a law passed in Parliament. It is our government that has created a joint system for the appointment of CEC and EC, which includes the LoP. It is a great misfortune that Rahul Gandhi and Congress party are acting like cry babies even when no rule/law is broken,” he said in his post.
The government announced the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the new CEC, and named Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Vivek Joshi as an Election Commissioner late on Monday evening, after a meeting of the selection committee.
