Haste decision taken to avoid SC's scrutiny: Cong on CEC's appointment

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said in a hasty midnight move, the government has notified the appointment of the new CEC

Congress MP KC Venugopal strongly criticized the appointment of the new Central Election Commissioner and said that the decision went against the spirit of the Constitution.

Taking to social media, X, the Congress MP wrote that such egregious behaviour only confirmed the doubts that the ruling regime was "destroying" the electoral process of the country.

"In a hasty midnight move, the Government has notified the appointment of the new Central Election Commissioner. This goes against the spirit of our Constitution, and what has been reiterated by the Supreme Court in many cases - for the electoral process to have sanctity, the CEC must be an impartial stakeholder," the post read.

 

"Their decision to hastily hold the meeting today and appoint the new EC shows they are keen to circumvent the Supreme Court's scrutiny and get the appointment done before a clear order kicks in.

"Such egregious behaviour only confirms the doubts that many have expressed about how the ruling regime is destroying the electoral process and bending the rules for its benefit. Be it fake voter lists, schedules favouring the BJP, or concerns around EVM hacking--the government and the CECs it appoints are subject to deep suspicion because of such incidents," the post further read.

He further stated that as pointed by the LoP, the decision should have been kept aside until the Supreme Court decided the issue in line with the Constitution.

"As the LOP rightly pointed out, this decision should have been kept aside until the Supreme Court decides the issue in line with the Constitution," the post further read.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Tuesday expressed concerns over the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner, questioning the urgency of the decision despite the ongoing legal challenge regarding the formation of the selection committee.

 

He emphasized that in a democracy, elections should not only be fair but also perceived as fair, criticizing the move as a violation of the Supreme Court's authority and the spirit of the Constitution.

 

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "... The formation of the selection committee for this matter has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The matter has also been accepted for hearing in the Supreme Court. In such a situation, what was the hurry that the appointment was made during this time? ... In a democracy, elections should not only be fair but should also appear to be fair ... This is a contempt of the Supreme Court and the basic spirit of the Constitution."

 

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had raised questions about the composition of the government-dominated panel during a speech in Lok Sabha earlier this month. While attending the selection committte meet Rahul Gandhi submitted a dissent note objecting to the mechanism of the appointment said sources.

This comes after the Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the new CEC.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice said that President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to appoint Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioner, as Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India, with effect from February 19, 2025.

The appointment was made in exercise of powers conferred by section 4 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

In another notification, the Ministry of Law and Justice said that Dr Vivek Joshi, has been appointed Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. Vivek Joshi is a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre.

The appointment was made hours after the meeting of the Selection Committee.

Gyanesh Kumar succeeds Rajiv Kumar, who will be demitting the office of Chief Election Commissioner on February 18.