Rahul Gandhi Protests Government's Appointment of New Chief Election Commissioner Ahead of Supreme Court Review

New Delhi- Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has expressed strong objections to the government's late-night appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner, succeeding the retiring Rajiv Kumar. Gandhi, who participated in the selection committee meeting alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, formally registered his protest through a dissent note.

At the core of Gandhi's objection is the recent change in the selection committee's composition. He highlighted that the August 2023 legislation, which replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Union Cabinet Minister on the selection panel, contradicts a March 2023 Supreme Court ruling. The Congress leader emphasized that this modification undermines the electoral process's independence and contradicts Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision of protecting the Election Commission from executive interference. The matter is scheduled for Supreme Court review on February 19, 2025.

Gandhi's dissent note argued that proceeding with the CEC appointment just days before the Supreme Court hearing was inappropriate and disrespectful to democratic institutions. He referenced public surveys indicating declining voter confidence in India's electoral process, suggesting that the selection committee's altered composition could further erode trust. The Congress party had advocated for postponing the selection process until after the Supreme Court's review of the committee's structure.