President rejects CEC's proposal

With the announcement of schedule for the Lok Sabha polls imminent, President Pratibha Patil on Sunday rejected Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswami’s recommendation to remove Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner.

A statement released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said the President accepted the government’s recommendation to reject Gopalaswami’s report against Chawla. “The President, after careful consideration of the report of the CEC, the government’s recommendation, constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court judgment, arrived at a considered opinion and has accepted the recommendation of the government,” said a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson.

Gopalaswami had recommended Chawla’s removal after the BJP submitted a petition to the Election Commission accusing Chawla of being close to the Congress.

In 2006, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and BJP leader L K Advani, and 204 other MPs, submitted a petition to the then President A P J Abdul Kalam, seeking Chawla’s removal from the Election Commission.

The BJP also approached the Supreme Court in this regard. It then withdrew its petition after Gopalaswami filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, claiming the CEC had the suo motu power to recommend the removal of an Election Commissioner. The government informed the Supreme Court the CEC had no such power.

Law Minister H R Bhardwaj had earlier said the controversy should not affect Chawla’s career. He had hinted that Chawla would be the next CEC considering the policy to have the senior-most Election Commission member as the CEC.

Bhardwaj had said the government would initiate the process to name Gopalaswami's successor before he retired on April 20.

Chawla was appointed to the panel in May 2005 and would serve till 2010.